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Z I O N'S 



PILGRIM. 



/ 



i • X2B^ • • 



BY ROBERT HAWKER, D. D 

VICAR OF CHARLES, PLYMOUTH. 



i • ^mr • i 



They shall ask the way to Zion with their faces thitherward, 
inr, Come, let us join ourselves to the Lord in a perpetual cov- 
enant that shall not be forgotten. Jeremiah I. 5. 

And confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. 

Hebrews xi. 13. 



Zty Jfuflt American from tfje JFourrf) Ionium (Efcition, 

TO WHICH ARE ADDED, 

SELECT PIECES BY DIFFERENT AUTHORS 



TBotfton : 

PRINTED BY LINCOLN Cv EDMANDS, NO. 53. CORNHILL, 

FOR REV. DANIEL OLIVER. 

Sold at the Bookstores of Caleb Bingham, No. 44, and Lin- 

coin & Edmunds, No. 53, Cornnill. 

4 . 






0* 



CONTENTS. 



Zion's Pilgrim Pag £ 

The Moral Man [ lx 

The Moral Preacher |g 

The Family at Prayers 2 4 

The Traveller 29 

The Prayer Meeting 33 

The Poor Man's Experience 35 

The Mournful Believer 33 

The Cries of Unbelief 42 

A Believer under the Hidings of God's Countenance 47 

The Sermon 53 

The Remarks 53 

The Dead Child . . [ 68 

The Suicide 7q 

The Ploughman 7^ 

The Strayed Sheep gj 

An Inn gy 

The Jew 89 

The Diary 9 g 

Market Day 9 8 

The Grace 100 

The Paralytic 1 I 

The Stable Boy 10g 

The Disaster j 09 

My Relations \ j 23 

The Book 125 

The Brothers 4 27 

The House of the Interpreter 132 

The Picture Room 141 

Monuments 143 

Mottos 146 

SELECT PIECES BY DIFFERENT AUTHORS. 

The Harvest Home 1 55 

Sixteen Short Sermons 163 

The Swearer's Prayer 192 

Ardent Spirits .196 

Lord's Day 199 

The Fatal Blunder . . . ' , \ \ oqs 



ZION'S PILGRIM. 



IT was not until that I had passed a very con- 
siderable portion of time in the life of man, 
that I felt the full conviction of my being but 
a stranger and a pilgrim upon the earth. And 
it becomes even now, one of the most astonish- 
ing circumstances, in the new view of things 
which are continually opening before me, that 
there should have been so much ignorance in my 
mind by nature, on a subject which, in itself, ap- 
pears so exceedingly plain and evident. Not that 
I was altogether void of apprehension, that the 
present life formed a bounded prospect. But yet 
my ideas were like those of the great mass of 
unawakened characters, who believe as though 
they believed not ; and who, though ready 
enough to confess in the general, that man is but 
a dying creature, yet in the particular instance, 
as it concerns themselves, live as though they 
never thought to die. 

I pause in the moment of recollection, to 

look back upon the whirlpool, in which for so 
many years I was hurried on by the unceasing 
current ! unconscious of the perilous situation in 
which I then moved, and unconcerned at what I 
saw of thC sudden departure of those around me, 
swallowed up in the vortex ! 

B 



6 ZION'S PILGRIM. 

Dread Power \ awful even in thy mercies ! Do 
I now stand secure on the edge, upheld by a 
strength not my own, no longer within the reach 
of the tide, and beholding the solemn prospect of 
thousands still ingulfed ? Can I call to mind the 
past danger and present deliverance, unmoved 
with pity over the unthinking throng, and un- 
touched with gratitude to thee the sole Author ©f 
every mercy? I feel (blessed be the grace that 
inspires it) the rising hymn of thankfulness in my 
heart, while the tear drops from my eye ; Lord, 
how is it that thou hast manifested thyself unto me, 
and not unto the %vorld ? 

The reader, who condescends to interest 

himself in the history of a poor traveller to Zion, 
must be content to admit of these occasional in- 
terruptions by the way. 

You may, perhaps, my brother, consider every 
thing of this kind, but as the unnecessary paren- 
thesis of the tale. But they are not so to the 
writer. The life of a Pilgrim, and of Zion's Pil- 
grim particularly, furnishes but a comfortless 
view in the retrospect. It is like treading over 
large tracts of waste, thorny, and unimproved 
ground. Every little spot, therefore, which can be 
looked back upon with delight, is like the sweet 
herbage, and the refreshing stream, here and 
there only to be found on the barren heath ; and 
which are beyond all calculation, precious to the 
traveller. 

If the reader cannot enter into a full participa- 
tion with the writer, in these enjoyments, he hopes 
he will at least suffer them to remain, as so many 
episodes in the history. It is possible, from an 
uuison of hearts, some fellow traveller on the road 



ZION'S PILGRIM. 7 

to Zioa may find in them an harmony of sound 
corresponding to his own song of praise : and to 
him they will not be uninteresting. 

One reflection, I think, cannot fail to strike 
the gracious mind with force, in the review of 
a long period of unawakened nature, when once 
brought out of it ; and that is, the distinguishing 
properties of preserving grace. I never knew, 
until grace taught it me, how much I owed, and 
"was continually accumulating the debt, during the 
season of my unregeneracy, to this one principle. 
But now, under divine teaching, I have learnt 
somewhat of this spiritual arithmetic, and can en- 
ter into the full apprehension of what the apostle 
means, when he says, preserved in Jesus Christ 
and called.* 

Do you ask what that is ! Every man's personal 
experience becomes the truest commentator. But 
for the grace of preservation in Jesus Christ, there 
would never have been a calling to Jesus Christ. 
Calculate, if you can, how long a space you lived, 
unconscious of your state, without God and with- 
out Christ in the world And had you been cut 
off in the awful state of an unawakened, unregen- 
erated mind ; where would have been your por- 
tion? And were there no seasons of peculiar peril, 
no sickness, no intemperance, no hair-breadth 
escapes, in which life hung as by a thread over an 
hopeless eternity? Oh! the countless instances 
of preservation in Christ Jesus, before the re- 
deemed of the Lord are brought to the apprehen- 
sion of divine things which are of Christ Jesus ! 
Have you never seen the unconscious babe watch- 
ed over, in all its helpless, defenceless hours, by 

* Jude i. 1. 



8 ZION'S PILGRIM. 

the sedulous tenderness and care of its anxious 
parent? Such, and infinitely higher, must be 
his preservation of his people, who not only 
watches over them every moment lest any hurt 
them /* but, what peculiarly endears his loving 
kindness to the heart, he watches over them for 
good, in those moments also, in the days of their 
unregeneracy, when they are making Him to serve 
with their sins, and wearying him with their in- 
iquities.^ Is this view of the subject wholly 
unprofitable to the soul, not in the actual posses- 
sion of grace ? I trust not. . Is not every one a 
monument of sparing mercy, w 7 hile continuing on 
praying ground ? And if preserved in Christ 
Jesus, why not hope there may be yet a calling 
to Christ Jesus ? I have often thought, that if the 
most senseless mind could be but brought to stop 
in the mad career of folly, and put the question to 
the heart ;~~" For what purpose am I preserved to 
this hour; and why is the morning light again 
Vouchsafed to one who but lives to abuse it ?" — 
Such a solemn appeal to the heart, in the cool mo- 
ment of reflection, might be blessed by divine 
grace; and induce a new train of thought, and 
new principles of conduct in the mind. How 
doth the Lord wait that he may he gracious unto 
you ? and therefore will he be exalted, that he may 
have mercy upon you ; for the Lord is a God of 
judgment : blessed are all they that wait for him.% 
I hardly know at what period to commence 
my history. All that part of life which I spent 
prior to my conversion, I cannot reckon in the 
estimate of really living. He only lives, who lives 

* Isaiah xxvii. 3. f Isamh xliii. 24. \ Isaiah xxx. 1& 



ZION'S PILGRIM, 9 

to God's glory. All else is but a blank in crea- 
tion. And were the sum total of my days to be 
made up under this numeration, it could only cor- 
respond to the character of him, who being regen- 
erated after he had attained the age of three score, 
ordered for the inscription of his tombstone ; 
" Here lieth an old man of four years old." 

I can only tell the reader, that if from my first 
apprehension of divine things must commence 
the calculation of my real life, I have but a little 
path to go over. But from this era would I de- 
sire to date my history. 

What were the secondary means, which the Lord 
in his providence was pleased to employ, it is not 
so interesting to the reader to be informed of, as to 
behold their efficacy under grace. It will be suffi- 
cient for him to know, that from an ardent pursuit, 
like that of the generality of the world, of theseveral 
objects which attract attention in the circle of life, 
I found my mind suddenly arrested by matters of 
an higher nature ; and among the first evidences 
of the renewed life, I discovered two or three 
leading principles manifesting the mighty change. 
As for example ; from being occupied in an 
unremitting regard to things temporal, I now found 
my heart earnest to pursue the things which are 
eternal : and if at any lime, the necessary and un- 
avoidable claims of the world broke in upon me, 
to call off my attention ; my heart, like the needle 
under magnetic influence, which cannot be long 
diverted from the object of its attraction, soon was 
turned again to its favourite pursuit. In like 
manner the troubles of life, and the disappoint- 
ments necessary to the present preliminary state, 
B 2 



10 ZION>S PILGRIM. 

which in the days of my unregeneracy operated 
with all their severity, now lost their power, or at 
least became lessened, in the greater anxiety of 
what might be my situation in the world to come. 
This, like the ocean, whose boundless bosom takes 
in all the rivers flowing into it, swallowed up every 
lesser stream of sorrow ; and an awakened con- 
cern for the one thing needful made me forget 
every other consideration. Add to these, I had 
been exceedingly prodigal of time, while I knew 
not its value ; and have been literally sending out 
into the streets and lanes of the city to invite pas- 
sengers to take it off my hands. But when it 
pleased God to call me by his grace, I found every 
part of it to be so precious, that like the fugitive 
man-slayer hastening to the gate of refuge, I dread- 
ed every moment lest the adversary should seize 
me before i had found a sanctuary from his fury. 
As well as I recollect (and great cause have I to 
recollect every thing connected with a situation so 
critical) I was in this state of mind when my de- 
sires were first awakened to an inquiry after Zion ; 
and the question involuntarily was bursting from 
the fulness of my heart, Who will shew me any 
good? Lord, do thou lift up the light of thy coun- 
tenance upon me ; audit shall put more gladness in 
my heart, than in the time when corn, and %vi?ie, 
and oil increase ! 

Awakened to a concern which I had never before 
experienced, and called upon continually by a voice 
from within, which neither the engagements of 
pleasure nor the clamour of business could wholly 
stifle ; I found myself, insensibly, as it were, en- 
tered upon the road to Zion, eagerly disposed to 
ask every one by the way, Who mil shew me 



ZION'S PILGRIM. 11 

any good? though unconscious at that time, what 
that good meant, or whether there were any means 
of attaining it. 

It was in the midst of one of those highly inter- 
esting moments, when my heart seemed to be 
more than ordinarily impressed with the consider- 
ation of the importance of the inquiry, and per- 
haps too ready to receive the bias of any direction 
which might first offer, that it occurred to my 
recollection, there was a person who lived in the 
neighbourhood, who might help me in my pursuit 
of happiness, whom, for the sake of distinction, I 
would call 

THE MORAL MAN. 

His house lay on the left hand side of the road in 
the way to Zion ; and therefore it would not be 
going- much out of my direct path to call upon 
him. I mention this for the better information of 
those travellers who may come after me on the 
same errand, concerning both his situation and 
character. 

I had long known him, and not unfrequently 
been witness to some striking instances of the be- 
nevolence of his mind. He was well known in- 
deed to all around for the extensiveness of his 
charity. The poor man never went from his door 
with his tale of misery unheard, or his wants un- 
relieved. And it was said of him, almost to a 
proverb, by the pensioners of his bounty, that if 
any man went to heaven it would be him. I con- 
sidered myself particularly fortunate in the recol- 
lection of such a character, to whom I might un- 
bosom myself on the subject which lay so near my 



12 ZION'S PILGRIM. 

heart : so that calling»upon him, with that kind of 
freedom which necessity begets, and which a 
confidence in the person you address will always 
excite, I communicated to him, without reserve, 
the state of my mind. 

He heard me with great attention ; now and 
then only, as I stated my distress, expressing 
much pity for my concern on a subject which he 
considered to be perfectly unnecessary ; wonder, 
ing, as he said, that there should be a single per- 
son upon earth, w r eak enough to interrupt the en- 
joyment of his own happiness with an anxiety so 
ill founded ; and which, according to his ideas, 
tended to reflect so greatly upon the goodness of 
the Deity. " For my part, (says he) I have too 
high notions of God, to imagine that he ever made 
any creature to be miserable ; neither can I fancy 
the possibility of what some gloomy minds are 
so much alarmed about — of the doctrine of future 
punishments. It appears to me altogether incon- 
sistent with the benevolence of the divine char- 
acter.* 5 — 

" Hold, Sir, (I interrupted him) and pray 

satisfy my mind on this point, before you go far- 
ther. I readily join issue with you in the highest 
acknowledgments of the goodness of God ; and 
am most fully persuaded, that all praise must fall 
infinitely short in the description of what it really 
is. But I see as plainly as though written with 
a sunbeam, that much misery may, and in fact 
doth, consist with the divine goodness, in the 
present life. And, as I suppose, no one will ven- 
ture to impeach God's goodness, in the permission 
of evil here, I cannot form the vestige of an ar- 
gument, w r hy that goodness may not be as consist* 



ZION'S PILGRIM. 13 

cnt with the existence of evil hereafter ; especially, 
when revelation comes in to the aid of my feeble 
reason, declaring in a tone of the most determined 
and unalterable decision, that the wicked shall be 
punished with everlasting destruction from the 
'presence of the Lord.* Can you explain to me, 
how I am to reconcile these things with your 
opinion? And do you not imagine that there is 
great danger in entertaining such unqualified no- 
tions of the divine character — of complimenting 
God's goodness at the expense of God's truth ?" 
My neighbour waved the question, taking 
shelter under the general covering of a supposed 
inoffensiveness of conduct, and a well intentioned 
frame of mind. " I do not (he replied) trouble 
myself with matters of this nature. Providence 
hath blessed me with ample circumstances, and I 
do all the good I can in my little sphere of useful- 
ness. While therefore I enjoy the present, I am 
thankful for the past, and fearless for the future. 
My opinion is formed on that excellent maxim of 
the poet, 

1 For God is paid when man receives ; 
* T' enjoy is to obey.' 

These are my sentiments, (added my neighbour) 
and in the discharge of moral duties, I rest satis- 
fied for the event." 

11 It would be very unbecoming in me (I replied) 
to controvert your opinion, having called upon you 
for instruction, and not to instruct. But forgive 
me if I err in the apprehension, that what you 
have advanced in the eulogy of moral virtues, re- 

* 2 The#§. i. 9. 



14 ZXON'S PILGRIM, 

lates more to earthly concerns than heavenly — 
more to the present well being of man than to the 
future enjoyment of God. There is unquestion- 
ably a loveliness in moral virtue, which cannot 
fail to gain the esteem of every beholder ; and 
happy would it be for the circumstances of man- 
kind, if its influences were far more general than 
they are. And w 7 hile a proper distinction is made 
between the duties connected w T ith the pres- 
ent world, and the preparations suitable for anoth- 
er, too much cannot be said in praise of morality. 
But if, in the sight of God, an imperfect obedi- 
ence to a moral system could have answered the 
purposes of futurity, (I say imperfect obedience> 
because no one upon earth will venture, I imag- 
ine, to think higher of his practical attainments in 
this science, than that they come short of perfec- 
tion ; ) the religion of Christianity w r ould have 
been an unnecessary revelation. What nation 
ever exceeded in point of morals the Roman and 
the Lacedemonian commonwealths ? And yet, af- 
ter all, we can only place them in the class of unen- 
lightened heathens in respect to religion. Is there 
not * some grand deficiency in that system which 
totally shuts out, or at least throws far into the 
back ground of the piejce, the acknowledgment of 
Him, who, one should suppose, would forp the 
first and principal character ? 

" Permit me to place the argument in a point of 
view, which may in some measure tend to decide 
it. If I mistake not, you have a large family of 
children, all branched out in life ; and you have 
already made for them a most ample provision : 
and it is by your liberality that they are enabled to 
move in a sphere suited to their rank and cirqum- 



ZION'S PILGRIM. 15 

stances. Put the case now, that these children 
of yours live in the greatest love and harmony 
with each other ; and, not content with the bare 
practice of moral honesty and justice, are kind, 
affectionate, friendly, tender, even to the anticipa- 
tion of what one conceives may promote the oth- 
er's happiness. But suppose, that in the midst of 
all this attention to the mutual and general felicity 
of each other, they are never heard to express an 
affection towards the person of a father, from 
whom, as the source, they have derived all their 
enjoyments ; would not any man consider them as 
deficient in the first and best of all possible obliga- 
tions? And is not this the very state of those 
who, priding themselves in the discharge of mor- 
al duties to their neighbour, pass by the reverence, 
the love, the gratitude, and obedience they owe 
to God? 

11 Bear with me, I beseech you, Sir, and cor- 
rect me if I am wrong:. I merelv state the ob- 
jectionsto what you have advanced, as they appear 
to mc, in order that your better judgment may 
remove them. But, indeed, it hath often struck 
my mind very forcibly, that there must be some 
latent principle of evil lurking under a fair form ; 
when I have beheld characters of the greatest res- 
pectability, who appear to be every thing which 
is amiable to their fellow creatures — generous, 
noble, affectionate; but at the same time totally 
dead to devout sentiments. Often it hath been 
my lot, in times pabt, to have been introduced to 
their tables ; where the plentiful provision of all 
the bounties of Gon's providence seemed to be 
continually inviting the conversation to some re- 
marks on the goodness of the Great Provider. 



16 ZION'S PILGRIM. 

But alas ! during the many hours which I have 
sometimes spent at one meal, not a word hath 
dropped in honour of the Almighty Master of the 
feast. The gifts have been enjoyed, but the Giver 
totally forgotten. It hath been frequently my re- 
proach, I assure you, Sir, when returning from 
such tables, in the days while I attended them, 
(for I have long since given them up) that there 
must be some baleful principle in the human mind 
to produce such effects. Will you help me to 
account for it?" 

My neighbour seemed "a little hurt at the close- 
ness of the question. " You will excuse me, Sir, 
(he replied) it is not my province to preach. I 
would recommend you rather to the worthy vicar 
of our parish, who is allowed by all, who attend 
his church, to be one of the most elegant preach- 
ers of the age. Perhaps he may be able to satisfy 
your inquiries ; and I shall very much rejoice, if 
your mind can be made easy." 

Disappointed as I found myself in the informa- 
tion proposed from my visit, I could not but be 
thankful for my neighbour's candour ; and finding 
my anxiety increase rather than diminish, in de- 
sires after the attainment of something, which I 
knew not by what term to distinguish, I thought 
it might be right to follow up my neighbour's ad- 
vice ; and accordingly, on the next Sunday, I 
went to hear 

THE MORAL PREACHER. 

He took his text from the prophecy of Mieah, 
chap. vi. verse 8. He hath shewed thee ■,- man> 
mohat is good. And what doth the Lord require of* 



ZION'S PILGRIM. 17 

thee, but to do justly ', and to love mercy, and to walk 
humbly with thy God. I felt much pleasure in the 
very idea of the subject proposed from this text of 
scripture, the moment it was mentioned; and 
therefore listened with the more attention, in order 
to discover some leading points, which might be 
brought forward to give me comfort. The sub- 
stance of the preacher's sermon, when separated 
from the flowery ornaments of it, was directed to 
shew, that the path to happiness was set before 
every one ; that God had shewn man what was 
good ; and that it was man's own fault if he did 
not follow it : that what the Lord required Mas 
nothing harsh, or unreasonable, or difficult ; but 
the plain, easy, self- re warding virtues of moral 
obligation. And that, if, in addition to the line of 
doing justly, the circumstances favoured the love 
of mercy, in relieving the wants of the wretched, 
where ability reached, and dropping over them the 
tear of sympathy where it did not ; and instead 
of studying to be wise above what is written, re- 
specting divine things, to walk humbly with God ; 
these made up the sum and substance of all moral 
and religious concerns. 

" Well, Sir, (cried my neighbour, who had 
attended also the church that morning, and was 
coming out of the porch at the same moment with 
myself) well, Sir, what are your sentiments now ? 
I hope our worthy vicar has fully satisfied your 
mind." And this he said loud enough to be heard 
by those around, and with that kind of triumph 
which a man feels when he fancies he has fully 
established an opinion long disputed. 

" It is my mercy, (replied a poor man, who 
overheard mv neighbour's observation) that 1 
C 



18 ZION'S PILGRIM. 

have not so learned Christ. God hath indeed 
shewn me what is good ; and could I look up and 
say that I have followed it, all might be well. 
But alas ! I have sinned and come short of the glory 
of God. I know not what others feel : but I 
am free to confess, that in many instances which 
my recollection now reproaches me with, and 
others, no doubt, which my treacherous heart 
hath long since forgotten, I have neither done 
justly, loved mercy, nor talked humbly with my 
God. 

" Though I have reason to be very thankful, that 
God's preventing and restraining grace hath kept 
me from the more open and flagrant acts of injus- 
tice ; yet I am conscious that self love and self 
interest have betrayed me into the doing of many 
things^ which would not bear to be ascertained by 
the strict equilibrium of a standard of justice, 
which admits no partiality. I am no less con- 
vinced also that in speaking, I have committed, on 
numberless occasions, a breach of that golden rule 
of justice, which forbids reporting to another's 
injury, what, in similar circumstances, I should 
have thought wrong to have had spoken of myself. 
And from the imagination of man's heart, which 
scripture declares to be only evil continually, I am 
persuaded, that, in thinking, many unkind thoughts 
have arisen in my mind against my neighbour, 
which become a violation of that law of charity 
which thinketh no evil. I dare not, therefore, 
whatever others may do — I dare not risque the 
final decision of my everlasting welfare on the 
point of doing justly. 

" Neither under the condition of loving mercy 
<san I find greater confidence. For I discover in 



ZION'S PILGRIM. 19 

my nature, anger, resentment, pride, and the like 
corrupt passions ; which in spite of all my endeav- 
ours to suppress them, like the eruptions of a vol- 
cano, which plainly bespeak the heat within from 
the lava thrown without, too clearly testify that 
the love of mercy is not the ruling passion ! and 
therefore never to be estimated by the few casual 
acts of alms-giving, which, if the heart would be 
faithful to acknowledge, are sometimes more the 
result of pride, than the pure effect of real love 
and charity. 

" I blush at the bare mention of walking humbly 
with Gody in the recollection how often my rebel- 
lious heart hath risen, and is continually rising, 
in opposition to his government and authority. 
Fretful and impatient under the slightest afflic- 
tions ; unthankful for the greatest mercies ; and 
though desiring in my daily prayer, that his will 
may be done, frequendy wishing it may not ; and 
even displeased if it be, when it thwarts my own ! 
— Can such a creature be said to walk humbly 
with his God?" 

My neighbour listened to the poor man's ob- 
servations, and when he had finished, walked 
away without making a reply. For my part, 
though it appeared that his reasoning was conclu- 
sive, and unanswerable, yet I ventured to say, " If 
this be the state of the case, what becomes of the 
morality of the Christian religion ; and in what 
sense are we to accept the sermon on the Mount, 
with which the great Author of it opened his com- 
mission?" 

11 The morality of the Christian religion (repli- 
ed the poor man) stands where it ever stood, up- 
on its own fixed and immoveable basis ; and soon* 



SO ZION'S PILGRIM. 

er shall heaven and earth pass, than one jot or tit- 
tle of the law shall fail. Go d doth not lose his 
authority to command, because man hath lost his 
power to obey. The creditor foregoes not the 
right to his just due, because the debtor is be- 
come insolvent. By the law is the knowledge of 
sin.* Hence the great Author of the Christian 
system opened his commission with the promul- 
gation of this law, that its unalterable, unaccom- 
modating terms might ever stand in the front of 
his gospel ; and the man that doeth them shall live 
in them.-\ If, therefore, any man can appeal to 
this standard of decision ; can look up with an un- 
covered, undaunted front, and challenge the 
strictest scrutiny over every thought, and word, 
and action ; if there be such an obedience found 
as can give life, verily righteousness shall be by the 
law.% But if both scripture and experience have 
concluded all under sin, if all have sinned and come 
short of the glory of God ; and by the deeds of the 
law, no flesh can be justified in his sight ; then it 
will be found, that the moral sermon of the great 
Author of Christianity on the Mount, as well as the 
moral system of the great Jewish lawgiver in the 
wilderness, were both designed to act as the 
schoolmaster to bring unto Christ ;\ and, that he 
is the end of the law for righteousness to every one 
that believeth.^ 

Pause therefore one moment, and examine how 
the account stands between God and your con- 
science. In the present season of lightness and 
inattention, a multitude of occurrences of frailty, 
and sometimes what deserves a harsher name, pass 

* Rom. iii. 20. f Gal. iii. 12. J Gal. iii. 21, 

§Gal. in. 24, U Rom.x.4. 



ZION'S PILGRIM. 21 

away in the stream of time, noiseless and inaudi- 
ble, and are soon swallowed up in the gulf of 
oblivion. But in that hour, when the Lord will 
lay judgment to the line and righteousness to the 
plummet, if you and I have no better righteous- 
ness than our own to trust in ; no Surety to stand 
in our stead ; no Advocate to plead our cause ; 
an effect infinitely more awful than that which 
loosed the loins of the impious monarch we read 
of will take place, when weighed in the balance and 
found %v anting."* 

I knew not what to reply, and therefore remain- 
ed silent. The poor man, bidding me farewel, 
left me to ruminate on the solemn inquiry ; How 
should man be just with God?\ 

The effect wrought in my mind by reason of 
the poor man's observations, was not unsimilar in 
permanency, though producing very opposite 
sensations in point of pleasure, to what the poet 
fcath described of our first father's feelings, in the 
garden of Eden, on the close of the angel's rela- 
tion concerning divine things — 

The angel ended, and in Adam's ear 

So charming- left his voice, that lie awhile 

Thought him still speaking, still stood fix'd to hear. 

MILTON. 

I felt the same force, but not the same sweet- 
ness, from what he said. It was a harsh sound, 
and the vibration long dwelt upon my ear, Hoiv 
should man be just with God? It followed me to 
what Job calls the visions of the night \% and even 

* Dan. v. 6. t J° b ix. 2. \ Job ir. 

C 2 



22 ZION'S PILGRIM. 

then, like the spectre which he saw, the same ex- 
postulating voice seemed to cry, How should man 
he just with God? 

The stern demand rang through all the cham- 
bers of the conscience, as if a thousand voices had 
concurred to proclaim the utter impossibility of 
answering the question, in the very moment of 
proposing it. And as an echo reverberates from 
broken walls, so the sound of conviction returned 
from my broken heart ; by the deeds of the lav* 
no flesh can be justified in his sight.* 

It is with some degree of grateful recollection, 
that I look back upon this part of my history, 
and bless God, while I trace his divine hand, gra- 
ciously interposing by the instrumentality of this 
poor man, to rescue me from the dangerous path 
of delusion, into which I had turned, when seek- 
ing justification by the deeds of the law. I can 
now enter into a participation of David^s experi- 
ence upon a similar occasion, and feel somewhat of 
that spirit which he felt in the instance of the wife of 
the Carmelite, when under a deep conviction of that 
sin-preventing providence, he cried out, Blessed 
he the Lord God of Israel, which sent thee this day 
to meet me j and blessed be thy advice, and blessed 
he thou A In like manner I find cause to bless 
God in the review of this instance as the Author, 
the poor man as the instrument, and his advice as 
t)ie mean, which the Lord was pleased to commis- 
sion, for the emancipation of my mind from a self- 
confidence ; which if cherished must have ulti- 
mately ended in my eternal ruin. 

• Bom. Hi, 20> % 1 Sam, xxv. 33- 



ZION'S PILGRIM. 23 

— And my reader will I hope forgive me if I 
interrupt the progress of the history for a mo- 
ment, only to remind him, that unless the mind be 
brought under similar conclusions respecting the 
unalterable and unaccommodating right of God's 
demands, wo unto him that striveth with his Ma- 
ker ! We may fancy what we please, and frame a 
standard of our own, for God to go by, according 
to our notions of the fitness of things ; as if an ar- 
raigned culprit at the bar should stand up and pre- 
scribe laws to his judge ! but it would be w r ell to 
consider before it be too late, the very solemn 
tone of decision in which scripture hath settled the 
point, which leaves the subject at once determined 
and without appeal. Behold, he puttetli no trust 
in his saints ; even his angels he chargeth with 
folly. What then is man, that he should be clean? 
And he which is born of a woman, that he should be 
righteous ?* 

There is an interpretation, which I have since 
learnt, to the text of the prophet, Micah vi. and 
verse 8, which the moral preacher discoursed 
upon, very different from his ; and which I bless 
God the Spirit for teaching me. To do justice, 
and love mercy, and walk humbly with God. The 
prophet himself, in the very words as they stand, 
declares that these separate acts are with God, in 
their performance. And without all possible dis- 
pute, the first and highest instances of all duties 
must have a priority of reference towards him. 
Hence, therefore, I do justice with God, when 
from a clear conviction, that I have broken his 
righteous laws, and as such, stand exposed to the 

• Jobiv. 13. xv. 14. 



24 ZION'S PILGRIM. 

penalty due to the breach of them, I confess, that 
I merit nothing from his almighty hand, but im 
dignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish. I 
love mercy, in the fullest and truest sense of lov- 
ing mercy, when I acknowledge upon my bended 
knees and in the most heartfelt rejoicing, that it is 
of the Lord's mercies that I am not consumed, be- 
cause his compassions fail not. And I defy any 
one to walk more humbly with God, than the be- 
liever, who, while daily confessing himself to de- 
serve nothing but punishment, is receiving noth- 
ing but mercy. This is indeed to follow up the 
divine precept, and becomes the best comment 
upon what, it may well be supposed, the Lord re- 
qaireth. But the view of the prophet's words, 
according to this interpretation of them, is what I 
did not learn in the early part of my pilgrimage* 
The reader will forgive the introduction of it here. 



THE FAMILY AT PRAYERS. 

Forever driven from the asylum of moral du- 
ties as a justifying principle before God, and still 
restless and uneasy from the suspense of an awak- 
ened mind, in respect to the solemn events of fu- 
turity, I found myself compelled to go farther in 
the pursuit of the wished-for happiness ; though 
what path to explore, or where to direct my in- 
quiry, I knew not. 

There lived . a family of long reputed piety, 
whose place of residence lay not far out of my way ; 
from whom it struck me that some information 
might be obtained. I instantly directed my steps 
towards the house. And I was led to consider it 



ZION'S PILGRIM. 25 

as a very peculiar coincidence of circumstances, 
and not unfavourable to my purpose, that the 
household were engaged at their morning devo- 
tions, just in the moment that I entered their 
dwelling. 

There is a principle, I know not by what term 
to call it, which acts with singular energy on the 
human mind, at the very appearance of religious 
worship. The heart is instinctively brought with- 
in the sphere of attraction, and is secretly inclined 
to participate in what it beholds. I felt this influ- 
ence operating the moment I entered the room. 
I considered what this family was engaged in, as a 
common interest, a common concern ; so that 
without giving any interruption, I dropped upon 
my knees, unbidden and uninvited, in the midst 
of the circle. 

When the devotion was finished, the master of 
the house desired me to be seated, and our con- 
versation, naturally taking its rise out of the inci- 
dent of the moment, turned on religion. 

" It is my uniform custom, Sir, (said he) to be- 
gin and end the day in prayer — I consider it to be 
my duty. I know it exposes me to the sneer of the 
fashionable world ; but I cannot help that. It ap- 
pears to me to be the obligation of every master of a 
family, to set up the form of religion in his house ; 
and for example's sake, to lead his household to 
the church on Sundavs. For the same reason I 
make it a point that all the elder branches of my 
family,* after they have been confirmed, should 
attend the monthly sacrament ; and it is my wish, 

' The author is an Episcopalian, and by confirmation means the 
public profession of the Christian religion by an adult person, so. 
lemnly performed in the church in the presence of the bishop, 



26 ZION'S PILGRIM. 

that my wife and daughters should go to prayers 
on the week days and festivals : And I believe 
they are pretty constant in their attendance. And, 
Sir, we all find tjie good effects of it. ' We are 
prosperous in the world., and cheerful and happy 
as you see. Religion has nothing gloomy with 
us. No family, I persuade myself, is more com- 
fortable than ours." 

The master of the house said this with so much 
complacency and satisfaction, and there seemed to 
be so much cheerfulness appearing in every coun- 
tenance of his household, that I began to hope 
the object of my visit was answered, without fur- 
ther inquiry. I concluded w 7 ith myself, that if 
the observance of religious duties was capable of 
inducing so much happiness in their instance, it 
would have the same tendency in mine. I only 
remained therefore long enough among this appar- 
ently happy family, to present my congratulations 
on what I had seen ; and then took my leave, to 
put into practice the lesson which I had learnt from 
them. 

It is impossible to tell my reader, what a round 
of duties I laboured through, of reading, hearings 
fasting, watching, praying. And to the constant 
routine of this kind, when the monthly sacraments 
came about in their periodical returns, I added 
every page which is prescribed in the weekly prep- 
arations. I could not have ventured in those days 
to the Lord's table, with any of the appointed 
forms unfulfilled for the world. And as this path 
in the trammels of devotion opened a continual 
feast to feed the pride of my heart upon, I soon 
began to feel the sweet effects of it in the gratifi- 
cation it afforded me. For finding greater confi- 



ZION'S PILGRIM. 27 

dence from the supposed rectitude of my life, and 
dutiful obedience towards God, than heretofore, 
I "concluded that I stood on much safer ground for 
acceptance with him. Not that I then thought 
that my goodness alone, and without the merits of 
Jesus Christ, would be sufficient to salvation : 
(for by this time I had learnt somewhat of the na- 
ture of the Christian religion) but I took it for 
granted, that what I did would be the sure method 
of recommending me to God for it. So that upon 
the whole, I was well pleased with myself. There 
were indeed certain seasons, now and then, when 
upon the omission of any duty, or the commis- 
sion of any sin, my mind would misgive me, and 
for the moment induce fear. But these were but 
transient impressions, which I endeavoured to ef- 
face as fast as possible, in atoning for the evil, by 
| increasing diligence in the path of what I thought 
good. ^ And thus, by carrying on a commuta- 
tion with God, I strove to make up what was re- 
miss or offensive in one instance, by an over at- 
tention in another. 

— How long I should have gone on under a 
delusion so fatal I know not. But a circumstance 
occurred, which at once threw to the ground the 
whole edifice I had been building up for myself 
with so much labour, and levelled all my fancied 
goodness in the dust. I had been reading a chap- 
ter in Paul's Second Epistle to Timothy, when 
those words arrested my attention so forcibly, that 
I could not help dwelling upon them : Having a 
form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: 
from such turn away.* What if this should be 

* tTira.iii. 5. 



28 ZION'S PILGRIM. 

my case, I thought with myself; and after all, I 
am taking up with the form, while destitute of the 
paver of godliness ? The very idea made me trem- 
ble ; and the bare possibility of the thing itself 
induced me to bring the matter to an instant issue 
by examination. And the result terminated but 
to my confusion. That single appeal of the apos- 
tle, which I found I could not make, convinced 
me all w r as wrong. God is my witness (says he) 
whom I serve with my spirit in t/ie gospel of his 
Son.* " Alas, 9 ' I cried out, "I am no spiritual 
worshipper. I have the form indeed, but not the 
power of godliness. Mine is 'the shell, the car- 
case, the shadow only of piety." 

Under this renewed conviction and distress of 
mind, I sat down pensive and melancholy. I con- 
sidered now, that all hopes of salvation were over, 
and was in a state little short of despair. I knew 
not at this time, that these were the blessed effects 
of divine teaching; and that God, the Holy 
Spirit, was thus, one by one, removing all the 
props of self confidence, and emptying the soul, 
in order to prepare it for receiving out of the ful- 
ness of the Saviour. Oh ! it is a gracious process 
of mercy. We must become poor, in order to be 
made rich ; and the apostle's paradoxes must be 
literally verified ; to be dying that we may live ; 
sorrowfuly yet always rejoicing ; having nothings 
and yet possessing all things. \ 

Oh ! ye mourning saints ! be not astonished at 
your afflictions. Be they ever so heavy or of ever 
so long continuance, there is a needs be for every 
one of them. Your God is faithful in sending the 

* Rom. i. 9. \ 2 C»r. vi. 9, 10. 



ZION'S PILGRIM. 29 

affliction : and your God will be equally faithful 
in carrying you through it. Settle this in your 
mind as an everlasting maxim ; every one of them 
shall terminate to your benefit. The Lord ap- 
points it for the exercise of your faith. And if 
your faith gives glory to God, God will confirm 
and honour your faith. This is among the all 
things which must work together for good to them 
that love God. 



THE TRAVELLER. 

In the frame of mind just described, I was seated 
pensive and melancholy, when a traveller approach- 
ed me. " You seem dejected, Sir," (he cried, as 
he advanced towards me.) " Yes, Sir, I am in- 
deed, (I replied) I have discovered sin to be a 
heavy burthen." 

" Sir, I ought to congratulate you (the man 
answered) on this discovery. The knowledge of 
our misery is the first step towards a cure. 
There is a striking analogy between the diseases 
of the mind and those of the body. The man in 
supposed health Mill reprobate the application of 
medicine. It will be grateful only to the sick. 
And our Lord says, that the Ktjkok need not a phy- 
sician. It is one of the sweetest and most affec- 
tionate recommendations of his character, that he 
came not to heal the healthy, but to cure the dis- 
eased. If you know your malady, depend upon 
it you are not far from obtaining relief. It hath 
been long my complaint, that in me ckve/leth no 
good thing. And though I have been some years 



30 ZION'S PILGRIM. 

in the school of self-knowledge, I have made but 
small proficiency in the science. A science in- 
deed so general, which comprises the whole of 
man, is not easily acquired. The deepest in- 
vestigations do not reach to the bottom. For we 
are told by an authority not to be questioned, 
that the heart of man is deceitful above all things, 
and desperately wicked ; and that none can know it, 
but he -who trieth the heart and searcheth the 
reins.* For it is not this or that particular in- 
stance of sin only, but our whole nature which is 
virtually all sin ; and not a member or faculty of 
the body, but what is tainted by it. Ask the 
most devout saint the earth ever produced ; Can 
you restrain the mind from wandering in seasons 
of worship ? Even if you close your eyes from 
all the objects around, will not rude and imperti- 
nent thoughts rush into the mind, like unbidden 
and unwelcome visitors ? Do you ahvays find 
freedom for the affections to mount on the wings 
of faith and prayer, when you draw nigh the mer- 
cy seat ? Alas ! there is not a single sense but 
what is in confederacy to promote sin in the soul ! 
Our eyes are continual purveyors of evil, and our 
ears inlets to bring home subjects of defilement. 
What a train of filthy and impure ideas will 
sometimes pass oy<;r the chastest breast, which 
no education can restrain, but which a man would 
blush to unbosom to his nearest friend ! 

"And what makes this awful view of man's 
total depravity still more awful is, that there is no 
exemption from it, but it is universal. Corrupt 
nature is the same in all. This hand of mine is 

* Jerem, xvii. 9, 10 



ZION'S PILGRIM. 31 

as capable of perpetrating any one act of sin, and 
the heart, which gives birth to the action, of devis- 
ing it, as that of the vilest wretch that ever lived. 
For the only distinction of character between 
man and man, is in what God's grace effects, not 
what man's merit deserves. You seem to be 
surprised : but such is the fact. Look here, 
(he cried, taking a handful of seeds out of his 
pocket ) here are a number of seeds, all taken 
from one and the same stock : if I were to put 
all of diem into the earth in the same soil, the 
same situations, under the same aspect of sun, and 
rain, and dew, they would as certainly produce 
the same in equal fruitfiilness. But if I put a 
part only into the earth, and reserve the remain- 
der in my pocket, is it not equally as certain, that 
the part reserved will remain inert and unproduc- 
tive, and that which is cast into the ground be 
alone fruitful ? The human heart, like those seeds, 
being from one and the same stock, and in ics 
genius, species, and kind in all instances the 
same, must invariably in all cases be alike, if all 
other circumstances concur. So that if this be 
not induced, it arises not from a diversity of char- 
acter, but from other causes. It is grace which 
prevents the sun, and rain, and dew, ( if I may be 
allowed the figure ) of temptation and opportuni- 
ty, from exerting their influence ; and then, like 
the seeds in the pocket, in the absence of those 
causes, they remain barren and unfruitful." 

" But Sir, ( I replied ) if such be the universal 
state of mankind, what a deplorable situation is 
our nature in ! And how then can any be saved ? VJ 

" It is this very state of our nature ( the travel- 
ler answered ) which made way for salvation by 



32 ZION'S PILGRIM. 

grace. Because man is fallen, Christ died. 
If you were not a sinner, what necessity would 
there have been for a Saviour ?" 

" Tell me, (I cried with great earnestness) is 
that Saviour for me ?" 

"I shall be ready (rejoined the traveller) to 
answer any questions you think proper to propose 
to me upon the interesting subject, as far as I am 
able ; from whence you may be assisted to gath- 
er information on the point." 

" I thank you, Sir, (I answered) but one 
circumstance I will beg you previously to explain. 
In calling lately upon a family, whom I found at 
their devotions, I discovered nothing like what I 
have since felt of the deadness and unprofitable- 
ness of my heart ; but they all seemed to be per- 
fectly cheerful and happy. From what principles 
will you account for this ? ?? 

" The thing speaks for itself (replied the trav- 
eller.) In a state of unawakened, unregenerated 
nature, the carnal security and blindness of the 
mind induces this false joy, and prevents a real 
concern for the one thing needful. False reason- 
ings, presumptuous hopes, and views of religion 
different from those of the openly profane ; these 
act as mighty persuasives on the imagination, and 
speak peace ', peace, ivfaere there is no peace. Like 
children amused with a rattle, such persons take 
up with the carcase and shell of religion, arid are 
ignorant of the vital principle within. An out- 
ward form of godliness satisfies for the inward 
power of it. And thus resting upon the means, 
and unconscious of the end, their forms and cere- 
monies of devotion, instead of leading the heart tb 
God, tend to carry the heart from God, and they 



ZION'S PILGRIM- 33 

know nothing more of religion than the name. 
And herewith their conduct uniformly corres- 
ponds. You will find such characters as well at 
the playhouse as at the church. They can sit 
both at the Lord's table, and the card table, and 
are as well known at the one as the other. Thus 
they live in the vanity and ignorance of the mind ; 
and thus not unfrequently they die ; ignorant of 
themselves, ignorant of their own corruptions, 
strangers to all the principles of grace, without 
God, and without Christ. The portrait of these 
persons is accurately drawn by the pencil of God 
in holy scripture, and you may view two correct 
outlines of it in the 21st chapter of the book of 
Job ; and the 73d Psalm of David. Very differ- 
ent is that which the Blessed Spirit hath given us 
in sweet miniatures of his people, throughout his 
whole word. But, come Sir, as you have seen 
the gaiety of the formal worshipper, let me lead 
you into the assembly of the real. I am just go- 
ing to a prayer-meeting, where you will be intro- 
duced, if you think proper, among that poor and 
afflicted people, which the Lord said he would leave 
in Zion." 

— I arose, and followed my guide towards the 
place, with strong expectations of improvement. 



THE PRAYER MEETING. 

My guide led me into a room upon the first 

floor of a dwelling, in which every thing around 
indicated the humble circumstances of the owner, 

D2 



34 ZIGN'S PILGRIM. 

where we found several persons assembled for the 
purpose of devotion. They had just began their 
evening service, and were engaged in singing an 
hymn, as we entered. The words of the hymn 
were interesting ; and, as I thought, not inappli- 
cable to my state and circumstances : 

"Come, ye sinners, poor and wretched, 
Weak and wounded, sick and sore j 
Jesus ready stands to save you, 
Full of pity join'd with pow'r," &c. 

— The hymn was followed up by prayer, which 
issued from a voice that I thought I had heard be- 
fore. And it was an agreeable surprise to me, at 
the close of it, to recognize in the person praying, 
the countenance of the Poor Man, whose observa- 
tions at the church-porch had made such impres- 
sions upon me. He noticed me also, and with 
that kind of regard which seemed to say, " 1 am 
glad to see you here." But the purport of the 
meeting so occupied his whole attention, that he 
appeared to have no leisure for other objects. By 
what followed I was led to conclude, that if any 
place of pre-eminence was found in this humble 
circle, it was his province. For as soon as the 
prayer was ended, and the company seated, he 
took up the Bible, which lay upon the table before 
him, and read from the part where it happened to 
open, the 16th Psalm. I could not be mistaken 
us to the number of the Psalm, by what followed 
in his observations upon it. 



ZION'S PILGRIM. 35 



THE POOR MAN'S EXPERIENCE. 

" In relating my experience (he said) of the 
Lord's gracious dealings with my soul, I desire 
to acknowledge, to the praise of the glory of his 
%race, wherein he hath made me accepted in the Be- 
loved, that I can, with all humility of mind, adopt 
this language of the Psalmist, and say as he did, 
the Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of 
my cup. He maintaineth my lot. Since that 
blessed period, when it pleased God to call me by 
his grace, and to quicken my soul which was be- 
fore dead in trespasses and sins, through along se- 
ries of five and twenty years, I have been learning, 
by little and little, to discover more and more of 
my own emptiness and poverty, and of the infi- 
nite fulness and suitability which is in the un- 
searchable riches of Christ Jesus to supply all my 
wants. And the attainment to which at length, 
under the teaching of God the Holy Ghost, I am 
arrived, is to know, that Jesus is the only portion 
of his people, for there is salvation in no other. 
The inheritance lost in the first Adam can only 
be recovered in the second. Jesus is the fountain 
of all blessings, temporal, spiritual, and eternal . 
" Men shall be blessed in Him." And out of 
Him there is not a single favour provided for any 
of the bankrupt race of Adam's children. And 
it is my peculiar mercy, and a lesson which I 
have learnt from our Great Master in the Lord's 
school, that while the Blessed Spirit declares in his 
church, that the Lord's portion is his people, Ja- 
cob is the lot to his inheritance : my heart can 
make reply to the sweet sound, from the persua- 



36 ZION'S PILGRIM. 

sion of a reciprocal interest in the Redeemer, the 
Lord is the portion of mine inheritance, and of my 
cup. Thou maintainest my lot.* 

" It hath not been, however, without many hard 
lessons to flesh and blood, with which I have been 
exercised, that I have arrived to this knowledge. 
It was a long time before 1 could rightly under- 
stand, and still longer before I could rightly rel- 
ish, when understood, the humiliating doctrine 
of living out of myself, and living wholly upon 
another. The pride of my heart continually re- 
volted at the idea of depending, like the beggar 
at the gate, for my daily supply. Though the 
heavenly manna became doubly sweet by its fresh- 
ness, yet I frequently found a rising desire within 
me to have a little stock, which I might call my own. 
And even now, though repeated lessons ought to 
have taught me better, and though the preciousness 
of every gift is enhanced by its being received im- 
mediately out of the hand of the gracious Giver ; 
yet such is the remaining power of the unhum- 
bled pride of my heart, that I discover much re- 
bellion at times rising within. And I am 
prompted very frequently to tell my heavenly In- 
structor, that surely now I might without danger 
be rendered somewhat more independent. Bless- 
ed be the patience of him with whom I have to do, 
that whenever this is the case (so very gracious 
and condescending is he) a renewal of my old les- 
sons soon sets all to rights again, and makes me 
bless his holy name, that I am placed under a 
wiser and better direction than my own. By car- 
rying my forgetful heart back to the first princi- 

* Compare Deut. xxxii. 9, with Psalm xvi. 5, for a precious $yi- 
dence of this doctrine. 



ZION'S PILGRIM. 37 

pies of learning in the divine science, and by call- 
ing to mind my original stock, and present mea- 
sure of indwelling corruption, I learn the peculiar 
blessedness of having all my fresh springs in him. 
And the sweetness of this life, when grace is in 
exercise, is inexpressible. While I am enabled 
to see that Jesus is my portion, every dispensation 
comes in a way of mercy. When my heart is 
under the assurance that my Lord is in it, it mat- 
ters not what it is. His presence alone hath the 
wonderful property of converting crosses and pains 
into enjoyments and pleasures. Every affliction 
which comes directed by his hand, hath the sure 
mark of affection folded up within the cover. 
And while I sit down with tenfold pleasure to 
the enjoyment of the thousand mercies which my 
God is continually giving me, because I behold 
with the eye of faith his presence at the table smil- 
ing graciously upon all ; I no less am enabled, in 
hour of calamity, to wait the issue, because I 
can and do hear with the ear of faith that soul-sus- 
taining voic^, What I do thou knowest not now, 
but thou shah know hereafter. Oh ! the sweet- 
ness of having Jesus for our portion ! and of living 
a life of faith upon the Son of God, who hath loved 
me and given himself for me /" 

1 was musing upon the happiness of a 

frame of mind like this, as the Poor Alan ended 
his relation, and reflecting on the little probability 
that I should ever arrive at such a state of bless- 
edness ; when a deep sigh, accompanied with a 
voice of complaint from a person near me, roused 
me from my meditation, and at once spoke my 
feelings and his own. 



58 ZION'S PILGRIM. 



THE MOURNFUL BELIEVER. 

" Oh that it were with me as you describe !" said 
the mourner, " but my case is far different. I 
fear that I have only a name to live, while I am dead 
before God! It is not possible, surely, that such 
a state as mine can consist with a life of grace in 
the soul. If the love of Christ was shed abroad 
in my heart, could I live as I do, so far from 
him ? My mind is at times as lifeless and uncon- 
cerned towards Christ, as theirs can be who nev- 
er loved his name. It is true, I feel at certain 
seasons great desires after the Lord. And I 
know, that a change hath taken place in my mind. 
For the world and its pursuits, which my heart 
w 7 as once running after with the greatest eager- 
ness, now have lost their influence. And the so- 
ciety of the people of God, who were once my 
song of reproach, I now above all things value. 
Yet still, so much sin is mixed with all I do ; so 
little do I live to Christ, and to the remembrance 
of his dear name; and the throne of grace is so 
often neglected by me, from day to day, that I 
very much fear my hope is all a delusion." 

—Had I been called upon to relate my own ex- 
perience, I could not have done it in more suitable 
words. I felt irfy heart drawn towards the speak- 
er, from the affinity that existed between us ; and 
waited with the most awakened expectation for 
some kind brother in this humble society to say a 
word of consolation to a case so much my own. 
It was not long before the Poor Man, to whom I 
owed so much before, took up the subject, to an- 
swer the doubts and remove the fears of the 



ZION'S PILGRIM. 39 

mournful believer ; and in doing this, he added to 
my obligation to him ten -fold. 

" Your case, my friend," cried the Poor 

Man, addressing himself to the Mourner, " is by 
no means singular. It is the uniform complaint 
of the faithful in all ages. What one ancient ser- 
vant of the Lord groaned under, all of them have 
found, that when we would do good, evil is present 
with us. And the reason is obvious. It ariseth 
from the workings within of the different princi- 
ples, grace and corruption. There are in every 
regenerated person two principles, a body of sin, 
and a spirit of grace : the flesh lusting against the 
spirit, and the spirit against the flesh ; and these 
are contrary the one to the other, so that ye canno t 
do the things which ye would. There is not a part 
of the mind but what feels the influence of both. In 
the renewed nature, the understanding is enlight- 
ened, the affections spiritualized, the will inclined 
to God ; while in the unrenewed nature still re- 
maining, there is darkness in the understanding ; 
carnal and earthly affections still continuing in the 
heart ; and the will stubborn, rebellious, and fre- 
quently inclining to disobedience. In short, the 
mind is like the region of the earth, while twilight 
is upon it. It is neither dark nor light, but a 
mixture of both : no portion of tl hemisphere 
being so light, but the shades of darkness are blend- 
ed with it; and none so dark, but the tints of light 
are beautifully incorporated. And this is perfectly 
accountable. A state of grace is a middle state, 
between that of nature and glory. In a state of na- 
ture, unawakened, unregenerated, unrenewed, sin 
reigns with unrivalled sway. In a state of glory, 
grace reigns uninterrupted, and without any op- 



40 ZION'S PILGRIM. 

position. But the intermediate state is a state of 
warfare. Every one in this state feels and expe- 
riences the conflict. And as it is said, in allusion 
to this very circumstance, in the allegory of the 
bondwoman's son and the heir of promise, so be- 
lievers find it ; as then he that was born after the 
flesh persecuted him, that was born after the spirit ; 
eve?! so it is now.* 

" But however mortifying; this doctrine be to our 
nature, (and abundantly so it hath ever been found 
to the best of men) yet as it tends, under divine 
grace, to make the believer go. softly all his days ; 
as it makes Jesus more dear, and as it affords to 
the believer one of the truest evidences of the re- 
newed life, he ought rather to inquire, how r such 
a state may be over-ruled to God's glory and his 
own benefit ; than, by a false estimate, to question 
the tender mercies of the Lord toward him, in the 
very moment of receiving the strongest proofs of 
them. Let me desire you to examine your own 
complaints again ; and to see whether in every one 
of them, even in the midst of your groaning under 
the apprehension that there is no grace in your 
heart, whether great grace is not then in exercise. 
You say, that if the love of Christ were shed a- 
broad in your heart, you could not live so far from 
him as you do ; that if you really were under 
grace, you could not stay away from a throne of 
mercy as you do. But say, could you complain 
of the want of love to Christ, if you had never 
tasted what that love is ? And if you visit not a 
mercy- seat so often as you wish, say, are not 
these things your continual burthen ? Do you not 

% 

* Gal. iv, 29. 



ZION'S PILGRIM. 41 

groan under such marks of a dead and lifeless 
heart ? And are not these sorrows of the soul, for 
the unallowed sins of the body, very plain evi- 
dences of the spiritual warfare ? They never groan 
at sin, though they may in the prospect of the 
punishment of it, who have no renewed nature. It 
is the believer only who dreads the sin, more 
than the penalty due to it. And if grace be thus 
in exercise to endear the person of the Lord Jesus, 
still more in proportion as we see our daily want 
of him ; to long for the time to come when sin 
shall be rooted out ; and to cause a sense of our 
weakness to prompt the soul to a greater depend- 
ence upon divine strength ; by thus overruling all 
dispensations to his glory, and his people's wel- 
fare, we see a needs-be in every dispensation, and 
discover the beauty and tendency of that scrip- 
ture, which says, after that ye were illuminated, 
(not before, but after J ye endured a great fight of 
affliction* In a word, however we may long for 
an exemption from all sin, and would purchase it, 
were it possible, with the price of a thousand 
worlds ; however we may, and do, groan under 
this body of sin and death, which we carry 
about with us ; yet, while Jesus, who could, if he 
saw it right, deliver his tried ones, whom he hath 
chosen in the furnace of affliction, with a word 
speaking, sees it not fit, let us not despond. If 
your sense of sin, and unallowed infirmities, lead 
you to a more firm reliance upon him ; if it make 
his promises dearer, his faithfulness more evident, 
and his presence more desirable, depend upon it, 
E 

• Heb. x. 32. 



42 ZION'S PILGRIM. 

by and by, your groans will be changed into songs 
of rejoicing, and your language will be like that of 
the apostle, Thanks be to God, who gheth us the 
victory through our Lord Jesus Christ* 



THE CRIES OF UNBELIEF, 

There sat a man upon my right hand in the 
prayer-meeting, to whom the leader of this little 
circle next addressed himself, in order to inquire 
into the Lord's gracious dealings with his soul. 
"I hope," said the poor man, calling upon him 
with all the freedom of one w r ho had been long ac- 
quainted, " I hope, (said he) that you will now be 
able to give us some testimony of the word of 
his grace. I long methinks, to hear, from an 
old disciple, like you, some evidence of the faith- 
fulness of our covenant-making, and covenant- 
fulfilling God." 

"Alas!" replied the other, " my language 
must be much the same as you have often heard. 
I still groan under the burthen of unbelief, and 
know not when I shall obtain deliverance from it. 
It will be a long time, I fear, before I shall be 
able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by 
the comfort where%vith I myself am comforted of 
God. I frequently compare myself to the unwor- 
thy spies, whom Moses sent to view the promised 
land ; and fear that, like them, I shall never at- 
tain the possession of it, through the same beset- 
ting sin of unbelief. If I attend the means of 



ZION'S PILGRIM. 4S 

grace, I return, for the most part, unbenefitted 
through the suggestions of this evil heart of unbe- 
lief. If I hear the word of a preached gospel, 
though I think I know the truth as it is in Jesus, 
and love to sit under the sound of it ; yet too often, 
like the Israelites, it doth not profit me, not being 
mixed with faith. If at any time I read the 
Bible, and turn to those exceeding great and pre- 
cious promises, which belong to the Lord's people, 
their sweetness is lost in me, through a fear that 
I have no interest in them. And how many of 
the providences of my God, which I well know 
to be every one of them fraught with a sure bless- 
ing in their final issue to his people, are pervert- 
ed in their effects on me, by the impatience and 
distrust of my unbelieving heart ! And can such 
a creature say any thing by way of encourage- 
ment to the Lord's exercised family, when he 
himself is so faithless and unbelieving ?" 

" 1 confess," rejoined the Poor Man, " that such 
a state as vou describe cannot afford much assist- 
ance to the cause of Christ. But blessed be our 
God, this is the Christian's charter, that, if vie 
believe not, yet he abideth faithful, he cannot deny 
himself Your want of faith indeed is injurious 
to your peace, but not to his cause. Unbelief, 
like a worm of the bud, cankers the bloom and 
fragrancy of the sweetest flowers of grace. And 
had our fathers of the church in the wilderness 
been in this frame of mind, instead of surround- 
ing the Christian pilgrim as they now do, with 
such a glorious cloud of witnesses, they would 
have stood in the highway only as so many pillars 
of salt. But let me tell you, my drooping broth- 
er, that I am too well acquainted with your real 



44 ZION'S PILGRIM, 

character, as well from an insight into your expe- 
rience, as from my own, (long exercised as I have 
been by unbelief, both in times past, and even 
now too frequently feeling its remains) not to 
know, that the very sorrow which you express, 
on account of the supposed want of faith, carries 
with it an evidence that you must have some 
faith thus to complain. That your faith is not 
equal to your wishes, I will readily allow. For, 
indeed, whose is ? But that you differ most es- 
sentially from those that are shut up in total unbe- 
lief, is most evident. In proof of what I say, 
compare your situation now, with what it was in 
the days of your unregeneracyl You were then, 
not only without Christ and without God in the 
worlds but absolutely unconscious of the want. 
Whereas now your most earnest desires are that 
Christ might dwell in your heart by faith, and be 
fully formed there the hope of glory. If there 
were no faith in your heart, whence arise these 
desires for more ? It is the preciousness of the 
gift, which makes you long for greater manifesta- 
tions of the Giver. And it is a consciousness of 
the remains of unbelief, that makes you appre- 
hensive that you have no 'faith at all. While, 
therefore, you groan under those remains, every 
sigh proves that the}' are but remains from which 
the merciful goodness of our God will in his own 
time deliver you. Carry your complaints to him 
who is both the Author and Finisher of faith. 
Let us copy the apostles' prayer, Lord increase 
our faith! And depend upon it, that if our faith 
be but as a grain of mustard seed, however small 
and inconsiderable it may be ; still it is not of na- 
ture's growth, nor of nature's production. That 



ZION'S PILGRIM. 45 

small portion which you possess is the gift of the 
same Almighty power who created the faith of 
Abraham. Receive it, I entreat you, as the ear- 
nest of the promised inheritance, to the praise of his 
glory. 

"And while I say this much, by way of Convinc- 
ing you, that in the midst of all your complain- 
ings you have great cause of thankfulness before 
God, let me remind you also, that what you com- 
plain of, forms a part oT the complaints of all the 
Lord's people. Nay, more ; the greatest in- 
stances of faith we meet with in scripture afford 
at the same time the greatest examples of unbelief : 
As if the dear Lord of his people intended to 
teach all this important lesson, that man is noth- 
ing in himself, but that all his sufficiency is of 
him. Abraham, who is handed down to us in the 
church's history, as the great pattern of faith, and 
who could and did exercise s;ich unparalleled 
confidence in the Lord, in the instance of his in- 
tended sacrifice of Isaac ; yet even this man could 
not, upon another occasion, trust in God's faith- 
fulness to extricate Sarah from danger.* Job, 
under the influence cf faith, could confidently say 
of the Lord, though he slay me, yet will I trust in 
him ; yet so much, at another time, was he borne 
down under the pressure of trouble, that he im- 
patiently cried out, Oh that I might haw my re- 
quest, even that it would please God to destroy me.\ 
And David's whole life, as it may be gathered 
from his Book of Psalms, was made up of conflicts 
between believing and doubting. I need not 

E 2 

v Gen. xx. f Jobyi. 8, 9. 



46 ZION'S PILGRIM. 

mention Peter's case, as an additional proof of the 
fluctuating state of the human mind, who, in the 
mount of transfiguration, gave so glorious a testi- 
mony, and in the hall of Pilate uttered so shame- 
ful a denial of his Lord's character.* All these, 
and ten thousand lesser instances, serve to shew 
what man is in himself, and what the same man 
may be when supported by the grace of God. Let 
me beg of you, then, in the estimate of your spir- 
itual state, as it stands before God, never to lose 
sight of these things. And while a deep sense 
of the unbelief of your heart makes you humble, 
and is continually leading you to a mercy seat for 
an increase of faith, from him whose gift alone it 
is, do not overlook that portion of the blessing 
which the bountiful Lord hath already bestowed 
upon you. Never forget, that the smallest degree 
of faith is faith ; perfectly distinct from all the ope- 
rations of nature, and far above all human power 
to produce. Forget not, also, that it is not the 
quantity, but the quality, which constitutes the 
principle. By him (says the apostle) all that be- 
lieve are justified from all things. Observe the 
expression, All that believe. He doth not say, 
believers of such a description and character, or 
that come up to such a standard, but all that 
believe. While therefore you possess the smallest 
degree of faith, bless God for that. The smallest 
measure indicates from whom it came; and de- 
clares whose you are, and to whom you belong. 
It is the one uniform family-feature of the Lord's 
household of faith ; for as many as believe are or- 
dained to eternal life. Large portions of so pre- 

* Compare Matt in* 16. with xxvi 69, 



ZION'S PILGRIM. 47 

cious a grace, are, no doubt, highly desirable. 
But to poor, timid, unbelievingbelievers, (if I may 
be allowed the expression) it is a refreshing 
thought, that the Great Shepherd gathers the 
lambs with his arm, and carries them in his bosom ; 
and they are as dear and precious in his sight, as 
the strong of his fold. 

" Those feeble desires, those wishes so weak, 
'Tis Jesus inspires and bids you still seek ; 
The God whom thou seekest will not tarry long 1 , 
And by him the weakest are safe as the strong." 



A BELIEVER UNDER THE HIDINGS OF GOD'S 
COUNTENANCE. 

1 ' Your observations, my dear brother," said a- 
nother, who sat at a corner of the room, " are truly 
refreshing to my soul. I have been long exercis- 
ed under the hidings of the divine countenance, 
and sometimes tempted to cry out, with the 
church of old, My hope is perished from the Lord. 
But I perceive, from what you have been saying to 
our friend, mourning under the unbelief of his 
heart, that the same arguments, by a parity of 
reasonings, are applicable to my case also. Spir- 
itual darkness, and spiritual doubtings, are but 
too nearly allied, and proceed frcm the corruption 
that dwells within. It may be said of both, it is 
your iniquities which ha^e separated between you 
andyour God, and your sins have hid his face from 
you. And when this is the case, when as in Paul's 
voyage, neither sun nor stars for many days appear* 



4$ ZION'S PILGRIM. 

ed, and no small tempest \s added to the darkness of 
the horizon, faith will be at a low ebb, and all 
hope, that the soul is then in a state of safety, will 
for a time be taken away. But, blessed be God, 
when I can find no comfort in myself, I know that 
Christ is the same. I still see a loveliness in his 
person, and a suitableness and all-sufficiency in his 
power to save, when I cannot say that I see my 
interest in him to be clear. IVhen wilt thou come 
unto me, is frequently the language of my heart, 
though* I cannot always call him mine. And the 
recollection of past experiences is sometimes a lift 
to me during the passing cloud. I call to mind 
the time and place, and the gracious manner and 
means, when, where, and by which the Lord hath 
heretofore comforted and refreshe'd my soul. So 
that, like the wife of Manoah, I am led to con- 
clude, if the Lord had not intended mercy he would 
not have shewed me all these things. And I always 
find that sweet text of the Prophet to be consola- 
tory, during the heaviest night of this kind of trial ; 
Who is among you that fear eth the Lord, that obey - 
eth the voice of his servant, andwalketh zndcirkness, 
and hath no light ? Let him trust in the name of 
the Lord, and stay himself upon his God." 

"I rejoice truly, my dear brother," replied the 
Poor Man, "in the testimony you bear to the 
faithfulness of your God, under your sufferings. 
It is an easy thing to speak a word for God's 
goodness, when the Lord is surrounding us with 
the sunshine of his blessings. But it must be a 
gracious soul indeed to rejoice in God, when he 
hath nothing but his word to trust in. And when 
God hides his face from his people ; stands at a 
distance from their prayers ; seemingly thwarts all 



ZION'S PILGRIM. 49 

their desires ; gives no answer by Urim and 
Thummim ; then, to hold fast by God, and to lie 
passive before him ; this is what the prophet felt, 
and what none but those who are taught of God 
the Holy Ghost can say with him ; Although the 
Jig -tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the 
"vines, the labour of the olive shall fail, and the field 
shall yield no meat ; the flocks shall be cut off from 
the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls ; 
yet will I rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of 
my salvation." 

I had entered with so much earnestness of par- 
ticipation into every man's case, as they related 
their several experiences one after another, that I 
was unconscious of the lapse of time, and felt not a 
little distressed, when 1 heard one of the company 
say, " our hour is come, it is past eight o'clock. " 
The following hymn was then given out and sung ; 
which appeared to be a very suitable conclusion 
to the solemn sen ice : 

No more, my God, I boast no more 

Of all the duties I have done ; 
I quit the hopes I held before, 

To trust the merits of thy Son. 

Now for the love I bear his name, 
What was my gain I count my loss ; 

My former pride I call my shame, 
And nail my glory to his cross. 

Yes, and I must, and will esteem 

All thing's but loss for Jesus' sake ; 
O may my soul be found in him, 

And of his righteousness partake ! 
The best obedience of my hands 

Dares not appear before thy throne ; 
But faith can answer thy demands, 

By pleading what my Lord hath done. 

But, if I felt myself pleased with the hymn, my 
mind was more abundantly refreshed and delighted 



50 ZION'3 PILGRIM. 

with the concluding prayer, which followed it ; 
in which the person who prayed, did not confine 
himself to general expressions ; but, more or less, 
included therein the wants and desires of all the 
Lord's tried family ; and in particular, the several 
cases which had been spoken of during the even* 
ing. Neither as a stranger and visitor in this lit- 
tle society did the leader in prayer forget to men- 
tion me, at the mercy-seat ; that the Lord would 
supply all my wants, whatever they might be, out 
of the abundant riches of his grace, which are in 
Christ Jesus. 

After withdrawing from the room, and taking 
leave of the friend who had conducted me thither, 
I retired to my closet to meditate upon what I had 
seen and heard. And the conclusion I formed 
upon the whole was this : I had discovered in the 
scriptures of truth, that in all ages of the church f 
the Lord has had a seed which served him. I no 
less discovered also, that this seed were distin- 
guished from the rest of mankind by certain marks 
and characters. I observed very clearly in the 
little circle- to which I had now been introduced, 
that its members were widely distinguished from 
the unawakened world, in all their pursuits, com- 
plaints and desires. I remarked yet farther, that 
although their complaints and desires differed in 
their degree of earnestness, yet, like a family- 
feature, there was a sufficient similarity in all, to 
manifest their relationship to each other. But 
what became my highest gratification, was the 
discovery, that, however unconscious of it before, 
their situation was my own. And I felt that union 
of soul, which the mind feels in a state of nature 
on the discovery of affinity, so as to be drawn to- 



ZION'S PILGRIM. 51 

wards them in the warmth of a lasting love and 
affection « I resolved therefore to cast in my lot 
among them, and to have the same portion. The. 
sweet language of Ruth to Naomi exactly speaks 
the feelings of my heart : Intreat me not to lecroe 
thee, or to return from following after thee : for 
whither thou goest I will go, and where thou lodg- 
est I will lodge ; thy people shall be my people, 
and thy God, my God. Where thou diest will I 
die, and there ivill I be buried. The Lord do so to 
me and more also, if ought but death part thee and 
me. 

My mind had been much exercised 

through the night in reflections upon what I had 
seen and heard at the prayer- meeting. And the 
morning had but just opened upon the earth, 
when I arose to prayer and meditation. There 
is somewhat peculiarly solemn in the first dawn of 
day, before the noisy world is risen. It very 
powerfully calls the soul to devotion. 

u Sweet is the breath of morn, her rising sweet 
With charms of earliest birds. " 

MILTOX. 

I felt the influence, and having bowed the knee 
before the God and Father of our Lord Jesus 
Christ, I entered upon the meditation of the sub* 
ject, which had engaged my attention so much 
the preceding evening. The more I considered 
it, the more I stood convinced, that there is a seed 
in the earth, which the Lord hath distinguished 
from the world. And I felt no less conviction 
also, that it is divine grace alone, which makes all 
the difference between him that serveth the Lord, 
and him thatserveth him not. But Uiat /should 



52 ZION'S PILGRIM. 

be the object of his grace, when I sought it not, 
nor was even conscious of the want of it — here ap- 
peared the greatest mystery ! 

I found my eyes overflowing in the contempla- 
tion of such unmerited goodness of my God to- 
wards me, and was lost in the thought, when a 
call at the door roused me from my meditation. 
It was the Traveller^ whom I live before mention- 
ed, who had kindly introduced me to the prayer- 
meeting, and who was come to inquire what were 
my sentiments concerning it, and to offer me 
that assistance which I had requested t)f him at 
our first interview. 

I very frankly opened my whole heart to him 
upon the subject, and hesitated not to tell him, 
how much I felt interested in what I had heard ; 
and particularly in the case of one who had spoken, 
from the similarity of his experience to my own. 
" How, or when, (I said) or by what means the 
Lord hath begun the work of grace in my heart, I 
know not : but like the poor man we read of in 
the gospel, I trust I can say, that %v here as I was 
blindj now I see. It is, indeed, but a confused 
and ill-formed view of things, which I have at 
present, in looking at the bright objects of divine 
truth. I see but indistinctly, men as trees walking. 
Yet, I cannot but hope, that he who hath gracious- 
ly touched mine eyes, will touch them again, and 
make me see clearly. " 

" Doubt not (replied the Traveller) the divine 
faithfulness. The earnest of the Spirit becomes 
no less the earnest of the promised inheritance.* 
And an apostle says, we may be confident of 

* Compare 2 Cor, v. 5. with Ephes. i. 13 f 14. 



ZION'S PILGRIM. 53 

this very thing, that he which hath begun a good 
work in us, will perform it until the day of Jesus 
Christ. As nothing, under divine grace, will 
tend to open your apprehensions more clearly to the 
truth as it is in Jesus, than the possessing right 
notions of the covenant of grace, on which the 
whole system of the gospel is founded, I have 
brought with me a sermon, written upon the sub- 
ject, and which, according to my conception, 
places the doctrine in the plainest point of view 
possible. If it be agreeable, (he added) I will read 
it to you." 

" Nothing," I answered, " can be more desir- 
able to me." He accordingly took it from his 
pocket, and read as follows : 



THE SERMON. 

Isaiah lv. 3. 
" THE SURE MERCIES OF DATID." 

It was a very sweet note, which God the Holy 
Ghost put into the mouth of his servant the 
prophet, when commanding him to proclaim sal- 
vation in the mountain of Israel ; when he called 
it an everlasting covenant, even the sure mercies of 
David. In nothing did the Lord more consult 
the wants and happiness of his people, than in 
folding the gospel up under such a cover, and 
marking it by such distinguishing characters. 

Tell me, my brother, do you not feel a very high 
gratification in the consciousness that salvation is 

F 



tk ZION'S PILGRIM. 

not a work of yesterday, but founded on that ev» 
erlasting love wherewith the Lord hath loved his 
people ? 

Besides ; an everlasting covenant naturally con- 
nects with itself all those properties, which are 
necessary to its comf5letion and design. There 
must be included in it everlasting wisdom to 
guide, everlasting counsel to direct, everlasting 
strength to secure, and everlasting faithfulness to 
make good all its promises. Every attribute 
stands engaged in its establishment ; and it is the 
consolation of the true believer in Christ, that all 
the perfections of Jehovah are pledged for the ac- 
complishment of that purpose, which was purposed 
in Christ Jesus before the world began. The sure 
mercies of David imply as much to make them sure. 
Nothing new to God can ever arise to counteract 
the divine purposes concerning them. Neither 
can any one circumstance occur, for which provi- 
sion is not already made. In the everlasting cove- 
nant, God himself is the only contracting party. Je- 
hovah answers both for himself, and for his people* 
/ will : and they shall. Such is the language of it. 

Tell me once more, my brother, doth not this 
consideration also very highly gratify you ? You 
see, that as nothing of merit on your part could 
have given birth to a covenant which is from ever- 
lasting to everlasting ; so nothing now of demerit 
shall arise to defeat its operation, which can owe 
nothing to you. 

The subject opened to our meditation in these 
words of the Prophet leads to the most delight- 
ful view, with which the human mind is capable 
of being exercised,, in the present unripe state of 
t>ur faculties* The text indeed contains but Jive 



ZION'S PILGRIM, 5$ 

words, but it would furnish a sufficient subject 
for as many volumes. It is a text in which, as 
we say, every word tells. I consider it a perfectly 
unnecessary service, to lose time by way of point- 
ing to his person., who is here called David. No 
one for a moment can imagine, that it means Da- 
vid the son of Jesse. For, as an apostle hath ob- 
served, this David, after he had served his genera- 
tion by the will of God, fell on sleeps and was gather- 
ed to his fathers, and saw corruption. But he of 
whom the Prophet speaks in the text, who is Da- 
vid's Lord, saw no corruption ; but when God the 
Father raised him from the dead, (as if in confir- 
mation of this very subject, and to shew its per- 
sonal application to him) he expressed himself in 
these very words, I will give you the sure mercies of 
David.* 

In the farther prosecution of this subject, the 
arrangement I propose shall be as follows : My 
text, in allusion to this everlasting covenant, calls 
it the sure mercies of David. I shall first there- 
fore follow up this idea in shewing, that the re- 
demption by the Lord Jesus Christ, is a system of 
grace and mercy from the beginning to end. I 
shall then, secondly, go on to prove that these 
mercies are the sure mercies of David ; being 
founded on that everlasting covenant, by which 
grace reigns through righteousness unto eternal life 
by Jesus Christ our Lord. May God the Holy 
Ghost, who first commissioned the prophet to 
proclaim, now enable the preacher to explain those 
mercies of David ; that our gospel may come not 
in word only, but in power, and in much assurance 
of faith ! ' 

* Acts iiii. 33, 34. 



56 ZIQN'S PILGRIM. 

My first intention is to show, that the redemp- 
tion by the Lord Jesus Christ is a system of grace 
and mercy from beginning to end. And nothing 
can more decidedly manifest the truth of the obser- 
vation, than the character in which the prophet 
was commissioned to promulgate it. For when it 
is distinguished by the property of an everlasting 
covenant, the very term carries with it a most pos- 
itive testimony, that it must be all founded in 
grace, unconnected with any human power, not 
depending upon any human merit. For what 
first originated in the free and unmerited mercy 
of God, confirmed as it was by covenant engage- 
ments between the Father and the Son before 
man was created, and is promised to be carried 
on in all its purposes and effects, by the same di- 
vine power, independently of man's agency after 
his being brought into being, can come under 
no other description surely than that of grace. 
Whatever God hath done, or is doing, in the ac- 
complishment of his designs concerning it, must 
all be referred back into the eternal counsel of his 
own mind, by virtue of its everlasting nature. To 
this most evidently it is, that believers owe their 
being chosen, called, and regenerated. And their 
establishment in grace, their dependence upon the 
promises, and their hopes of eternal glory ; all 
are founded on that everlasting love, wherewith 
God hath loved his people before the foundations 
of the world were laid. I have said y (is the lan- 
guage of God) mercy shall be set up forever. And 
the reason follows : / have made a covenant with 
my chosen. 

Look, my brother, into yourself, and into your 
own experience, for a comirmation of this doc- 



ZION'S PILGRIM. 57 

trine. A covenant founded in grace can derive 
no aid from works. You can have nothing to 
give but what you have first received. And what 
you have first received is not in fact yours, but the 
great Giver's. And what he hath given may, 
without any impeachment of his justice, be again 
recalled. Neither can you have any thing to offer, 
but what God hath a right, as his own, to demand. 
Even all those sweet effusions of the soul, which 
appear in the worship of the faithful, when draw- 
ing near the mercy- seat ; as these arc wholly the 
result of the blessed Spirit's work, who brings 
them forth into exercise, as the sun by his warm 
beams, draws forth a fragrant smell from the flow- 
er, and have their origin in God's grace and not 
in man's merit, so there can be nothing of claim 
in them before God. The language of such a 
creature as man, even in his highest attainment, 
and, among the first order of the glorified spirits 
ofy//.?/ men made perfect , must still be the same : 
by the grace of God, 1 am what I am. Every thing 
that has a reference to salvation centres in Christ 
Jesus ; and may be clearly traced up to its origin 
in that everlasting covenant, which God made with 
him before this world had being. 

Nay, I will advance yet one step farther in the 
argument ; and, in ascribing the sure mercies 
of David wholly to grace, observe, that it was 
most unmerited grace which admitted the Lord 
Jesus to be man's surety and sponsor, to fulfil in 
our stead the law which he had broken, and in 
his sacred person to endure the penalty due to the 
breach of it. There could have been no impeach- 
ment of the divine justice, if God had insisted ou 

F 2 



,58 ZION'S PILGRIM, 

the sinner's suffering it himself. The soul that 
sinneth shall die. And was it not then an act of 
free, spontaneous mercy and grace in our God, to 
admit the substitute ? 

In speaking therefore of our subject in general 
terms, as applicable to the church of the Lord 
Jesus at large, it must be confessed that the ever- 
lasting covenant is very properly called the sure 
mercies of David. For it is nothing else but a sys- 
tem of grace and mercy from the beginning to 
end! And I am very confident, that every humble 
soul in particular, who is the happy subject of such 
bounty, by a personal interest therein, will be rea- 
dy to join issue with the apostle, and say, But 
God who is rich in mercy for his great love, where- 
with he hath loved me, even %v hen I was dead in 
sins, hath quickened me together with Christ ; for 
by grace am I saved. 

And as the original cause in conversion sprung 
from grace, so the preserving and carrying on the 
great work in the soul since, is wholly owing to 
the same great principle. When you call to mind* 
my brother, the coldness and deadness of your 
best affections ; your wanderings and backslidings 
from God ; the provocations and sins wherewith 
your life hath been marked; (Oh to grace how 
great a debtor ! ) will you not, with the utmost hu- 
mility, exclaim with the apostle, Unto him who 
doth exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or 
think, according to the power that worketh in us: 
unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus^ 
throughout all ages, world without end! 

But while it thus becomes delightful to the soul 
'tinder divine teachings, to be able to see that re- 
demption's work from the beginning to end is 



ZION'S PILGRIM. 59 

wholly a system of grace ; it becomes doubly 
sweet at the same time, to have a clear apprehen- 
sion, that this grace worketh and reigneth through 
righteousness ; that these mercies of David become 
sure mercies, being made so by virtue of that 
everlasting covenant of righteousness in Christ 
Jesus, by which God can be just, and the Justifier 
cf him that believeth in Jesus ; and the sinner, 
though in himself nothing but sin and iniquity, 
can look up and plead the righteousness of Christ 
as the foundation of his acceptance before God : 
because, in that covenant, God made /urn to be sin for 
us who knew no sin, that we might be made the 
righteousness of God in him. 

This was the second point of doctrine I pro- 
posed to proVe, and which I now proceed to il- 
lustrate and explain, under a few leading particu- 
lars. 

The mercies of David become sure mercies to 
the Lord's people by virtue of that t ver/asting cov- 
enant which occupied the divine counsel in the 
ages of eternity before the creation of the world, 
in which there were mutual promises made by 
the high contracting parties. Jesus on his part 
undertook to answer all the demands of his Fath- 
er's righteous law, for the objects of his and his 
Father's eternal love ; who, it was foreseen, would 
subject themselves to everlasting ruin by the breach 
of it. And God the Father promised on his part 
to remit that punishment to the person of the sin- 
ner, by inflicting it on the person of the Lord Jesus 
as the sinner's surety ; and, then to entitle the sin- 
ner, by virtue of the Redeemer's righteousness, 
to everlasting life. These were the terms by 
which each party guaranteed to the other the sure 



60 ZION'S PILGRIM. 

fulfilment of the covenant. Jesus therefore was to 
assume at a certain period, called the fulness of 
time, our nature, and in that nature to repair God's 
broken law, and sustain the penalty due to the 
breach of it. Moved with unbounded love to our 
fallen race, all this the Lord Jesus actually per- 
formed ; when leaving that glory which he had 
with the Father before all worlds, he came into 
this World, and accomplished all those great events 
which we read of in the history of his life. And 
when, by doing 'and dying, he had wrought out and 
brought in an everlasting righteousness, he return- 
ed to the bosom of the Father, to make efficient 
the whole process of his redemption, by sending 
down his Holy Spirit, to apply his merits to his 
people's necessities ; while he himself is exercis- 
ed in the high character of our Intercessor, to 
plead the efficacy of his death, and continually to 
appear in the presence of God for us. These are 
the great outlines of the everlasting covenant, as 
referring to the engagement of God the Son. And 
the promises on the part of God the Father were, 
that he would anoint Christ to the work, and ac- 
cept of him in lieu of the sinner. And that when 
the Redeemer had made his soul an offering for 
sin, He should see his seed, he should fjrolonor his 
days, and the pleasure of the Lord should prosper in 
his hand. My righteous Servant (said God) shall 
justify many, for he shall hear their iniquities. As 
for me, this is my covenant with them, saith Jeho- 
vah, my Spirit that is upon thee, and my words 
which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart 
out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, 
nor out of the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith Jeho- 
vah } from henceforth and forever. Such then be- 



ZION'S PILGRIM. 61 

ing the stipulated terms between the high con- 
tracting parties, and having been fulfilled on the 
part of the Lord Jesus, the mercies promised on 
the part of God become sure mercies to all the 
Lord's people. Grace reigneth through righteous- 
ness. And the positive assurance of pardon and 
salvation is brought home to the heart, by a con- 
viction founded in the veracity of that God which 
cannot lie. 

Let any man now review the ground we have 
hastily trodden over, in quest of the testimonies 
with which these mercies of David are made sure : 
let him behold an everlasting covenant, founded 
in grace, accomplished by the great Representa- 
tive of his people in grace, and in all ages accom- 
plishing in his people by grace : let him observe 
how r each principle harmonizes to secure God's 
glory, while it tenderly secures man's welfare : 
let him carefully remark how grace reigneth 
through righteousness, and I venture to hope, if 
God the Holy Ghost be the teacher, that the result 
will be the most absolute conviction, that our text 
very properly characterizes this great salvation 
by calling it the sure mercies of David. 

The application of this doctrine, though of all 
other considerations the most interesting, may be 
brought within the narrow est compass : the whole 
terminating, as it respects every individual, in this 
single question : Am I, or am I not, the highly 
favoured object of these sure mercies of David? 

If it be said, how shall this point be ascertained, 
and by what marks or characters is it to be 
known ? the answer is direct : God hath not 
left himself without the witness of his Holy Spirit 
in the hearts and minds of his people. Andal- 



62 ZION'S PILGRIM. 

though it is with the children of God in grace, as 
it is with the children of men by nature ; in the 
infancy of life, while the faculties of the mind re- 
main unopened, the child is unconscious of the in- 
heritance to which he is born : so they to whom 
he hath given power to become sons of God will 
frequently remain a long time unassured of the 
incorruptible inheritance, to which they are begotten 
by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. 
But as the spiritual apprehension is unfolded by 
the Heavenly Teacher, the)^ are brought by little 
and little, as children under education, to see 
their interest in the sure mercies of David, from the 
characters in which they find themselves distin- 
guished in the everlasting covenant. 

See, my brother, see w r hether you do not pos- 
sess what Jehovah promised, by virtue of this 
covenant, to give to Jesus 5 people. Have you not 
the new heart and the new mind } which God, by 
his covenant, is engaged to bestow ? Do you not 
feel those covenant impressions, w T hich are com- 
mon to his people ? Is not the Messenger of this 
covenant, whom God hath chosen, become the ob- 
ject of your choice also ? If God the Spirit be 
promised to certify your interest in this covenant, 
have you received the Holy Ghost sinceyou believed? 
In a word, if thes$, and these only are the sure 
mercies of David, are you seeking salvation in no 
other way ; and do you say, as David did, this is 
all my salvation^ and all my desire? These are pre-, 
cious tokens of being interested in the sure mer- 
cies of David ; when pardon, mercy, grace, right- 
eousness, sanctification, and strength equal to our 
day, are sought for in nothing else but God's ev- 
erlasting covenant. 



ZION'8 PILGRIM. £3 

My unawakened brother ! what do you know 
of these sure mercies of David ? I cannot, I dare 
not be silent, while endeavouring to comfort the 
people of God with a view of their privileges, 
without calling upon you to examine and look 
diligently lest you fail of this grace. O that the 
Lord may incline your heart, that you may come ! 

that you may hear the joyful sound and live ! 
that God may give vou also these sure mercies of 
David ! 

How shall I conclude my sermon better, than 
by desiring the afflicted, mournful, exercised be- 
liever, of every description and character, to fold 
up the sweet text of the Prophet in his bosom, a* 
a motto of consolation for every occasion ? And 
may God the Holy Ghost write upon every heart, 

1 will make an everlasting covenant with you , even 
the sure mercies of David. 



THE REMARK*, 

When my friend had ended this discourse, he 
waited, as I perceived by his look-, ! 
vations upon it. I anticipated his inquiry far my 
opinion, by giving it unasked. It appeared in- 
deed to me very plain, that the sermon comprised 
the leading principles of the covenant of grace : 
which, though certainly a subject of all others the 
most interesting, is perhaps the least undersrood. 
For my part, I am free to confess, that, previous 
to this explanation, I had very imperfect concep- 
tions of it. My first object, as soon as he had fin- 
ished reading the manuscript, was to thank him 



64 ZION'S PILGRIM. 

for his labour of love, in bringing me acquainted by 
this means with a doctrine so highly important. 
How sweet and consolatory is the view, that re- 
demption-work originated in grace, is carried on 
and completed in grace ; and yet, as if to remove 
all fears and apprehensions from the believer's 
mind, it is. grace reigning through righteousness 
unto eternal life, by Jesus Christ our Lord: so 
that, though founded solely in mercy, it calls in, 
to its assurance to fulfil, the covenant engage- 
ments and covenant-faithfulness of Jehovah. 
Well might one of old in the contemplation of it 
say, mercy and truth have met together, righteous- 
ness and peace have kissed each other. 

One branch of this subject particularly arrested 
my attention ; to which, on account of my im- 
perfect conceptions of it, I ventured to communi- 
cate to my friend my objection. The scriptures 
of truth (I observed to him) very strikingly dis- 
tinguished those sure mercies of David, as arising 
out of an everlasting covenant. This being the 
case, the operation of those mercies, must by their 
very nature be perpetual, and without any inter- 
ruption. There can be no period, in which they 
cease to act, for what was promised to be eternal, 
can never admit the smallest alteration in time. Is 
there not, however, sometimes a suspension of 
those mercies, when afflictions abound in the tot 
of the Lord's family ? 

" No, never (replied my friend) is there the 
least interruption in the unchanging mercies of 
God in Christ Jesus. And however dark and 
seemingly mysterious, at times, the dispensation 
may appear to us, yet there is but one and the 



ZION'S PILGRIM. 65 

same purpose of mercy, invariably pursued by a 
faithful God to his people. And the difficulty of 
apprehending this would be soon removed, by only 
taking into ^ the account the whole process of the 
divine administration towards believers, and not 
forming a judgment upon every single and detach- 
ed part of it. As men regulate their opinion of 
some admirably well constructed machine, from a 
contemplation of the whole when complete, and 
not of its several constituent parts in a state of 
separation, so God's divine ordination, respect- 
ing the goverment of his people, must be viewed 
upon the whole — causes with effects ; and then 
all is grace, mercy and loving kindness. An 
earthly parent considers it as no diminution of 
his tenderness to a beloved child, that he sends 
him abroad for education, or that he himself in- 
structs and disciplines him at home ; because his 
future prospects in life are best promoted by this 
process. And why should our heavenly Father 
be supposed to have lost sight of the sure merries 
of David to his children, because absence and dis- 
cipline are made use of by him, to forward his 
gracious designs of greater tenderness towards 
them ? But when we call in question the evidences 
of divine love, we forget where we are, and the 
reasons for which we are here. And hence, it is 
not among the smallest testimonies of those very 
mercies of David, that the Lord makes use of the 
ministry of affliction to proclaim, that this is not 
our rest because it is polluted. Had Jesus intended 
this world for the enjoyment of his people, in a 
itate of worldly prosperity, very different would 
have been their accommodations. But they are 
G 



66 ZION'S PILGRIM. 

strangers and pilgrims upon earth, and are going 
home to their Father's house. And what does 
ever make home more desirable to the traveller, 
than the ill reception he frequently meets with on 
the road ? 

" Sir ! look at the subject again, and see wheth- 
er it doth not challenge your highest admiration 
and praise, when you discover that the afflictions 
of the Lord's people are among his tenderest mer- 
cies ; in that they are so admirably contrived, that 
not a single trouble shall ultimately do them harms 
but, on the contrary, shall as positively work for 
■their good? Set down this as an everlasting max- 
im ; and compare with it either your own expe- 
rience, or your observation of others. Let us 
suppose now, for example's sake, that in the great 
mass of characters in the Lord's tried family, 
some are labouring under heavy afflictions of bo- 
dy, and some under anguish of mind ; some im- 
poverished in worldly circumstances ; some 
smarting under the lash of false tongues ; some 
groaning under the pains of sickness in their own 
persons ; some bitterly bewailing the effects of it 
in others : yet, be the trial what it may, (and wise- 
ly ordered it is, exactly suited to every one's ne- 
cessities) look only forward to its final issue, >and 
you will find, that not a single individual of the 
Lord's household is injured by it. Each afflic- 
tion becomes to them a messenger of sanctifica- 
tion and wisdom, and acts medicinally on the 
mind, as much as physic on the body. And can 
those things be properly called evils which minis- 
ter good ? Will any man blame the physician of 
approved judgment, when inducing a state of con- 
valescence, because the medicine he administers 



ZION'S PILGRIM. . 67 

is found somewhat nauseous to the taste,. and op- 
erates roughly ? 

" But it is not enough to say that afflictions do 
no harm ; they must also do good. The promise 
else would be lost — all things work together for 
good to them that love God. So that, unless in 
every single instance good is wrought to the lov- 
ers of God, the truth of scripture would become 
questionable. But of the perpetual occurrences 
which are going on through life, in attestation to 
this precious assurance, a volume would only give 
the mere outlines. And who is competent to de- 
scribe them ? Generally speaking, all afflictions, 
which tend to bring the soul to God, keep up a 
life of communion with the Redeemer : make us 
sensible of the gracious influence of the Holy 
Spirit; spiritualize our affections ; wean our hearts 
from a world, from which we must soon part ; and 
promote a more intimate acquaintance with that 
in which we are shortly forever to dwell : what- 
ever things induce, these blessed principles are 
undeserving the name of afflictions ; they are 
among the sweetest mercies of David. And when 
God removes every earthly comfort, in order to 
make room for heavenly ; empties the soul of all 
creature-comforts, that he may fill it from all the 
fulness of Creator-mercies; can there 'remain a 
question, but that the believer is a gainer by the 
the exchange? Nay, I am fully persuaded, that 
if grace were in full exercise, we should embrace 
our afflictions, as affording the choicest proofs of 
divine love. And how refreshing would it be to 
a by-stander near the bed of some suffering saint, 
to hear him say, Praise my God with me, for the 
pains I now endure ! For the dearest friend which 



68 ZION'S PILGRIM. 

I have upon earth, if his affection for me and his 
wisdom were equal to those of my heavenly Fath- 
er, would inflict every pain and trial, which I now 
feel from his gracious appointment. " 



THE DEAD ClIILD. 

My friend was going on in his discourse, when 
a shriek from a window in the street, accompani- 
ed with a loud voiee of distress, interrupted him. 
We heard the lamentable cry, ".My child is 
dead!" We hastened to the door to seek the 
cause of this sorrow. Upon inquiry, we found 
that it was the only child of an affectionate moth- 
er, which had that moment breathed its last in 
her arms. Alas ! thought I, Kachael's case is 
not singular : the same voice which was heard in 
Ramah) is heard throughout the world. The sor- 
rowful mother refuseth to be comforted, because 
the child is not. 

" See here, my brother," cried my companion, 
taking me by the arm, and leading me, as he said 
it, involuntarily down the street, " see here an ex- 
emplification of our subject. Let us only sup- 
pose, that this afflicted mother is a gracious wo- 
inan, and her history, I will venture to assert, 
shall sooner or later prove the truth of all that I 
have been saying. In the first paroxism of grief, 
she is perhaps insensible of it : for nature is na- 
ture, and is allowed to express, if without mur- 
muring, her sorrows. But suppose, that you or I 
were permitted to call in N upon her at some future 



' ZION'S PILGRIM. 69 

period; 'how different should we find her senti- 
ments ! A plain proof this, that it is the state of 
the mind, and not the affliction itself, which con- 
stitutes the difference. And when the appoint- 
ment comes, as it must come to every gracious 
soul, in a covenant way, the united wisdom of 
men and angels could not have ordered any event 
equally suitable, so as to have answered the pur- 
pose of God in his merciful dispensations towards 
her. However painful, it could not be spared. 
Let us consider it for a few moments, as it con- 
cerns herself, and as it refers to the child. 

u As it concerns herself. It is more than pro- 
bable, that this beloved, this only child, stole away 
her heart from the Lord. Perhaps her visits to 
the throne of grace were less frequent than here- 
tofore. Perhaps her anxiety for the future pro- 
vision of tiiis babe made her omit or diminish her 
charities to the poor : made her question the prov- 
idences of God ; made her affections more earth- 
ly ; her conversation-more savouring of the things 
of time and sense ; and, in short, induced a train 
of conduct, all tending to lead the heart move from 
God, and not bringing it (as ought to have been 
the case) to God. And was it not, then, think 
you, among the choicest mercies of David, to re- 
move the cause of all this evil ? Was it not time 
for God to recal his gift, When that gift formed a 
cloud on the mind to hide the hand of the Giver? 

" And as it refers to the sweet babe. Suppos- 
ing the most favourable thing which can be sup- 
posed, that it was a child of grace, a child of 
many prayers ; are the sure mercies of David al- 
tered in their propertv, because those prayers are 

G 2 



70 ZION'S PILGRIM. 

answered, and Jesus hath housed a Iamb of his 
fold beyond the reach of the prowling lion, or the 
ranging bear ? Say, ye long tried, long exercised 
soldiers in the Redeemer's army, are the sum- 
mer's heat and the winter's cold, the furious as- 
saults of the enemy without, and the distressing 
fears within, so very desirable, that you regret 
the close of the campaign ? Oh ! how much the 
reverse ! And who knows but that the gracious 
Lord, reading in the index, the whole volume of 
this infant's life, in mercy shut the book, to stop 
at once the parent's anxiety and her offspring's 
sufferings. » Thus, then, here is at once a whole 
chapter of mercies ; mercies to the old, mercies 
to the young ; and nothing but mercy to all, both 
in time and eternity. And where is the cruel par- 
ent, that would retard the flight of his child un- 
der such circumstances, and hinder it from tak- 
ing wing, to meet the Lord in the air t Surely, 
might the infant say, in just reproof to such mis- 
taken fondness, If ye loved me, ye would rejoice^ 
because I go to my Father ! 

" And what if we reverse the circumstances; 
(for grace is not hereditary) let that parent deter- 
mine, for none else can determine, what it must 
be to see a graceless child rising up in life, in 
spite of all our remonstrances, ail our prayers, at 
once regardless of his present peace and future 
happiness. Oh! how awful!" 



THE SUICIDE. 



As my friend uttered these words, a crowd of 
persons ran across the street in which we were walk- 



ZION'S PILGRIM. 71 

ing, which excited our curiosity to inquire into the 
cause. The information was a sad one ; a youth, 
it seemed, unable to brook the various disappoint- 
ments, which a long pampered habit of false educa- 
tion had induced, dared to defy Omnipotence, by 
putting a period to his earthly existence. The 
crowd was running to behold the unhappy object. 
i As for me and my companion, we both stood mo- 
tionless, struck with horror. At length, my friend 
recovered himself and broke silence. "Dread 
Lord!" he cried, " what an awful world is this, 
through which thy people are passing ! How close 
we walk on the confines of everlasting misery, 
while in the very moment we are the monuments 
of thy saving mercy ! Blessed God, (he ex- 
claimed) write, I beseech thee, that solemn truth 
upon my heart ; they that are kept are kept by the 
power of God through faith unto salvation. 
Oh ! what a lesson is here, my brother, (he cri- 
ed) for the sorrowful mother whom we just now no- 
ticed ! And what would this young man's parents 
give (for perhaps he may have both to survive him) 
had her case been theirs !" 

My heart was too full to reply. I felt all that 
kind of sensation which the poet entered into, to 
the contemplation of a subject so hopeless, and aw~ 
ful, when he said, 



Then if it be an awful thing to die, 



How horrid yet to die by one's own hand \ 
Self-murder ! — name it not (—-dreadful attempt \ 
Just reeking from Self-slaughter, in a rage, 
To rush into the presence 01 our Judge ; 
As if we challenged him to do his worst, 

And valu'd not his wrath !■ 'Tis mad ! 

'Tis worse than madness ; nought can describe 
A phruuy half so desperate, as this ! 

blair's cbayz. 



72 ZION'S PILGRIM. 

•It was some time before I prevailed on my 



self to remove from the spot of this awful scene. 
But at length I caught the arm of my companion, 
and we walked away together towards the end of 
the street, which terminated in the fields. We 
had gone a considerable space, without any con^ 
versation ; the minds of both being, I imagined, 
fully absorbed in ruminating on a subject, that was 
beyond all others the most distressing ! For my 
part, the circumstance had awakened in my breast 
a train of thoughts, which tended to dissipate ail 
my new-formed hopes. What (I said to myself) 
if an end so horrible should beat length the termi- 
nation of my pilgrimage ? What if all my fond de- 
sires of grace should ultimately prove a delusion ? 
Are the people of God exposed to such overwhelm- 
ing temptations of the enemy ? May they really be 
awakened to the life of God in the soul, and yet 
finally fall away ? 

I found these, and the like distrustful questions, 
involuntarily arising in my mind, and inducing 
much anxiety ; when my friend, as if privy to 
what passed within me, broke silence. "How 
gracious (he exclaimed) is our God, in the midst 
of such awful judgments, as are walking by our 
side through the world, to keep us unhurt ! Do 
you not perceive the evidence of that scripture ; 
A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand 
at thy right hand, but it shall not come nigh thee ; 
only with thine eyes shalt thoii behold and see the re- 
ward ef the wicked ?* Oh ! it is a blessed, soul- 
reviving thought, amidst all the melancholy proofs 
around us that we are passing through the enemy's 

l * Psatoxci. 7 9 8. 



ZION'S PILGRIM. 73 

territories, that there is a gracious nevertheless in 
the covenant which screens us from his malice. 
Nevertheless (says the apostle) the foundation of 
God standeth sure, having this seal ; the Lord 
knoweth them that are his.* Let mine outcasts 
dwell within thee, Moab ; be thou a covert to them 
from the face of the spoiler. \ This is enough. 
Outcasts, mid somedmes considered as the off- 
scouring of all things, they are. But still they 
are God's outcasts. Tempted they may be, and 
certainly will ; but conquered they shall not. 
And could a looker-on but see objects spiritually, 
he would discover, as the impious monarch of old 
did, one walking with his people in the hottest fur- 
nace, that even the smell of fire may not pass upon 
them."% 

" You very much rejoice my heart (I replied) 
by what you say. My fears were all alive in the 
view of this awful scene, lest an event so truly 
hopeless might one day be my portion. 3> 

— " That (answered my companion hastily) is 
impossible to a child of God. The promise is 
absolute. No weapon formed against thee shall 
prosper. ) And God is faithful, who will not suffer 
you to be tempted above that ye are able ; but will 
with the temptation also make a way to escape, that 
ye may be able to bear it." 

" But is it not said, (I replied) that some Mho 
were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heav- 
enly gijt, and been made partakers of the Holy Ghost, 
have fallen away ?" 

u Yes, (rejoined my companion) but none of 
those so spoken of were ever children of God, or 

* 2 Tim. ii 19. \ Isaiah xvi. 4. 

\ Dan. iii. 25, 2J. $ Isaiah liv. 17. 



74 ZION'S PILGRIM. 

born again of that incorruptible seed whichiheth and 
abideth forever. Only observe the vast distinction 
of character, by which those enlightened persons 
whom the apostle speaks of are marked, from the 
scripture-features of the truly regenerate ; and the 
contrast will immediately appear. They are said 
to be once enlightened-, that is, with Adw/- knowl- 
edge ; not renewed in heart-'afftctions. They are 
described as those who have tasted of the heavenly 
gift ; tasted but not approved : like persons whose 
stomachs nauseate what the taste rejects, and di- 
gest it not. They are said to have been made par- 
takers of the Holy Ghost ; that is, in his common 
operations upon the understanding ; not in his 
quickening and regenerating grace in the soul. In 
all these, and the like instances, there is not a sin- 
gle syllable said of the Spirit's work, in the great 
and essential points of faith and repentance, and 
the renewed life. But the whole account is con- 
fined to the common operations of nature, as dis- 
tinguished from grace ; in which natural men fre- 
quently excel; and sometimes indeed to such a 
degree, as to surpass in head-knowledge children 
of grace : And God the Holy Ghost is pleased to 
work by their instrumentality, while they them- 
selves remain unconscious of his power. He 
blesses his people by them ; but they feel not his 
power in them. For rather than his household 
shall want supply, he will feed them even from the 
table of their enemies. Thev become therefore 
like channels of conveyance, which conduct to 
others, but retain nothing themselves : or like the 
direction-posts on the road, which point the travel- 
ler to the right path, but never stir themselves a 
step towards it. These things may be done, and 



ZION'S PILGRIM. 75 

perhaps very often are done, by men perfectly 
strangers to vital godliness. And therefore when 
they cease to appear in their assumed character, 
they are said by the world to have fallen away from 
grace ; whereas the fact is, they never were in 
grace. Every thing in such persons is derived 
from natural causes, is supported by natural means, 
and adopted for natural purposes ; and thus be- 
ginning in nature, they end in the same. And if 
a proper attention was paid to these things, to dis- 
criminate between nature and grace, it would, un- 
der the divine blessing, very much tend to dimin- 
ish the apprehensions of the humble and fearful be- 
liever, respecting the danger of apostatising from 
the faith." 

" But is there not a difficulty (I said) to the cor- 
dial reception of this doctrine, in the cases of those 
unhappy persons who die by their own hands, and, 
as is generally supposed, from the effects of relig- 
ious melancholy "?" 

" Not the least, (replied my friend) by those who 
consider the subject in a proper point of view. It 
is the grossest mistake to ascribe such instances of 
suicide to a religious melancholy, when in fact 
they are induced altogether from the total want of 
religion. 

" Men, from the awakenings of conscience, and 
from the dread of divine displeasure in the recol- 
lection of a mis-spent life, may be driven to de- 
spair ; and, if there be no grace given to them of 
God, to make application of the sweet promises of 
the gospel in the hour of temptation, but left to 
themselves, may be prompted to do \\\ act at which 
nature shudders ! But who would presume, but a 



76 ZION'S PILGRIM. 

fool, to put this down to the score of religion, 
when every circumstance tends but to prove the 
very reverse, in the total want of all religion ? Let 
us only suppose a case in point, which is enough 
at once to answer all the childish observations 
which the world hath made on a subject of this 
nature. Let us suppose, a man, under the im- 
mediate pressure and alarms of a guilty conscience, 
in the prospect of die wrath to come, feels the ris- 
ing temptation to make away with himself. Let 
us suppose further, that in this distressed state of 
mind, some precious revelation and promise of the 
gospel is, through divine grace, revealed to his 
heart ; that he hears and believes what that gos- 
pel graciously proclaims, that though his sins are 
as the scarlet, they shall be made white as s?jow ; 
though red as the crimson they shall be as the wool ; 
that the blood of Jesus Christ cleansethfrom all sin : 
is it not evident, that if the mind of such a man is 
brought to believe in this precious promise, there 
can be no despair, and consequently there can be 
no self-murder? And will prejudice itself, even 
the grossest prejudice, venture to say, or even be- 
lieve, that a single instance of suicide was ever 

committed under such circumstances ? 

" Hence, therefore, you see, my brother, (con- 
tinued my friend) that it is not faith, but the want 
of faith ; not from religion, but from the total 
absence of religion, that a melancholy pervades the 
mind, which sometimes terminates so fatally as in 
self-destruction. 



ZION'S PILGRIM. 77 



THE PLOUGHMAN. 



I was about to reply, when the voice of one 
singing attracted my attention. It was an hus- 
bandman at his labour, busily engaged in plough- 
ing the field, and at the same time exercising his 
mind in strains of melody. From the solemnity of 
the tune, I was induced to believe that it was a 
psalm or hymn that he was singing. How merci- 
fully (I thought with myself) hath the Lord provide 
ed for the labouring part of mankind ; that while 
the hands are engaged day by day on things of the 
earth, the heart is unfettered, and able, through 
grace, to soar among the objects of heaven ! As we 
approached nearer, Ave paused, and could very 
plainly distinguish the words : and thus he 
sung,— 

" Arise, my soul, my joyful pow'rs, 

And triumph in my God : 
Awake, my voice, and loud proclaim 

His glorious grace abroad." 

My friend whispered in my ear, "Do you re- 
collect what the prophet predicted of the last gos- 
pel days : /;/ that day shall there be upon the belh 
of the horses, Holiness unto the Lord?* Such 
shall be the gracious prelude to that day, when 
there shall be no more the Canaanlte in the land, 
that the highway and die way of holiness shall 
be so plain, that the wayfaring men, though 

H 



* Zech. xiT. 20, 21. 



78 ZION'S PILGRIM. 

fools, shall not err therein."* The farmer still 
sung ; 

" He rais'd me from the depths of sin, 

The gates of gaping hell ; 
And fix'd my standing more secure 

Than 'twas before I fell." 

" Is not this strange doctrine ?" I cried to my 
friend. "Ask him yourself, (he said) for if he 
sings with the spirit and with the understanding 
also, he can explain. " 

" Are you not mistaken, honest man, (I said) 
in what you are singing ?" " Oh, no, Sir ; (he im- 
mediately answered) he that raised me from sin, 
preserves me now from falling ; 

(t The arms of everlasting love 

Beneath my soul he plac'd ; 
And on the Rock of Ages set 

My slipping footsteps fast. 

The city of my bless'<d abode 

Is wall'd about with grace ; 
Salvation for a bulwark stands 

To shield the sacred place. 

Satan may vent his sharpest spite^ 

And all his legions roar ; 
Almighty mercy guards my life, 

And bounds his raging pow'r." 

" Does this seem strange to you, Sir ? (con- 
tinued the countryman.) Surely, you ought to 
know better than I : but, for my part, I thank God, 
I know enough to know, that they are safer that 
are kept by grace, than they who never fell. The 
angels, who kept not their first estate, fell from 
having no security but their own strength. And 
our unhappy first father, who had more strength 

* Isaiah xxxv. 8. 



ZION'S PILGRIM. 79 

of his own than ever any since of his fallen race 
have had, soon manifested what that strength was 
when left alone. 

<( I do therefore desire to bless God, that my 
strength is in another, and not in myself. Oh ! 
it is a sweet morsel to my soul, which says, Is- 
rael, thou hast destroyed thyself, but in me is thy 
help.* Besides, Sir, had Adam continued in his 
original state of uprightness, and all his children 
have partaken in the same ; this would have been 
no other, after all, but the righteousness of the 
creature. Whereas now, the salvation of the right- 
eous is of the Lord. He is the Lord our right- 
eousness ; and therefore he is himself our strength 
in the time of trouble^ And while the soul, whom 
divine grace hath snatched, as the Lord hath me, 
from the gates of destruction, can take up that 
scripture, Surely shall one say, in the Lord have I 
righteousness and strength ; God the Holy Ghost 
applies that other precious assurance of his word, 
Israel shall be saved in the Lord with an everlast- 
ing salvation ; ye shall not be ashamed nor con- 
founded world without end."% 

The countryman waited not for a reply, but 

resumed his labour and his song together ; 

u Arise, my soul, awake, my voice, 

And tunes of pleasure sing ; 
Loud hallelujahs shall address 

My Saviour and my King." 

Happy soul ! (thought I) thou hast that which 
empires cannot purchase ; God for thy father, Je- 
sus for thy portion, and the Holy Ghost for thy 
comforter ! 

* Hosea xiii. 9. f Psalm xxxvii. 39. \ Isaiah »iv. 21. 



80 ZION'S PILGRIM. 

I saw the countenance of my companion glow 
with pleasure, at what the countryman had said, 
while he finished the observations of the labourer, 
with asking and making answer himself to some 
few questions of his own. u Why (says he) is it, 
that the divine promise of perseverance should be 
so difficult to be received by our unbelieving 
hearts, but because we think we must have 
strength enough of our own ? Why is the doctrine 
of the Redeemer's righteousness, as the sole means 
of justification before God, so hard to be accepted 
by us, but because the unhumbled pride of our 
nature cannot brook the mortification of being 
saved without doing something towards it ? And 
wherefore is it, that sinners are so averse to be- 
lieve, that their salvation is wholly the result of 
being chosen in Christ, before the foundation of the 
world, but because it becomes a gratifying com- 
pliment to our proud nature, to have it thought, 
that we have first sought Christ ? But the poor 

sinner desires that it should be always kept m 
view, that if%ve love him, it is because he first lov- 
ed us. His language is, Lord, it is all distinguish, 
ing grace from -beginning to end. I know I 
should fall every hour, but for the promise of being 
upheld by him, who, having loved his own, loveth 
them unto the end. And* as I am fully conscious, 
that I have no righteousness of my own, how pre- 
cious becomes that assurance to my soul, wherein 
thou hast said, My salvation shall be forever, and 
my righteousness shall not be abolished ',"# 



* Isaiah li. 8, 



ZION'S PILGRIM. 81 



THE STRAYED SHEEP. 

At that instant a sheep leaped over the hedge, 
just where my companion and I stood, as if pursu- 
ed by some enemy. The poor animal seemed 
much distressed and affrighted. He looked at us, 
but appeared disappointed. As he stood still, I 
called to him ; but he knew not my voice. At 
length a man appeared at the fence, over which the 
sheep had broken ; and calling in a particular tone 
which the poor animal understood, he turned and 
looked upon him. The shepherd then came over 
the hedge, and advancing gently towards him, still 
continuing his call as he approached him, the 
sheep came to meet him, and seemed rejoiced at 
his presence ; and they went away both of them 
together. 

44 Ah ! (I cried) I think I could spiritualize this 
occurrence." 4i Do so, then, (replied my friend) 
for such should be the custom of Zion's pilgrims, 
to extract improvement from every thing which 
they see or hear." " I would suppose (I said) 
this poor strayed sheep to be the emblem of the 
wandering sinner ; and the man pursuing it as a 
friend, which the silly animal fancied an enemy, 
to personate the man Christ Jesus. And under 
those images, if I mistake not, several very sweet 
doctrines of the gospel may be discovered. As 
for example : that the Lord Jesus had a fold be- 
fore the foundation of the world is evident ; for 
in the close of his ministry, he thanks the Father 
for them which he had given him, and of which he 
had lost none. This fold, by the entrance of the 

H 2 



82 ' ZIQN'S PILGRIM. 

prowling wolf into Paradise, wandered and was 
scattered abroad into the wide wilderness of the 
world. For so the Lord speaks of them : My 
sheep wandered through all the mountains, and up- 
on every high hill; yea, my flock was scattered upon 
all the face of the earth.* But though wander- 
ing and scattered, they were the Lord's sheep still. 
That little foolish wanderer, we just now saw, 
was never altered in his nature, though wayward 
and perverse in his track. Though he left the 
sheepfold, yet he was still the sheep, and not the 
goat. In like manner, Christ's spiritual sheep did 
not lose their relation to him, when they left his 
fold. This character of Jesus's sheep should 
never be forgotten by us ; for it is plain, that Jesus 
himself never loseth sight of it. In the moment 
he speaks of them as wandering and scattered, as 
diseased and weak, he calls them still my sheep. 
And hence, in the recovery of every one of them, 
the same idea is carefully preserved : / will seek 
that which was lost, and bring again that which 
was driven away, and bind up that which was brok- 
en, and will strengthen that which was sick.-\ 
And what can be more refreshing and encouraging 
to a poor sinner, than the consideration that, if of 
the fold of Jesus originally given by the Father,, 
however scattered over the face of the earth, how- 
ever pent up in the den of beasts by the accursed 
enemy of souls ; still he is the sheep of Jesus, 
concerning whom the promise is made and passed, 
My sheep shall never perish, neither shall any 
pluck them out of my hand.% The eye of the 
Good Shepherd is ever over them. He beholds 

* Ezek. xxxiv. 6, \ Ezek. xxxiy. 16. \ John x. 28, 



ZION'S PILGRIM. 8 



r> 



-them as his sheep, while they appear among 
wolves ; and when the hour is come, according to 
his blessed promise, like that poor animal we just 
now beheld, they shall hear his voice, and follow 
him, though they flee the voice of strangers. 
How expressive to this purpose are the words of 
God by the Prophet : Thus saith the Lord God, 
Behold I, even I, will both search my sheep and 
seek them out ; as a shepherd seeketh out his flock 
in the day that he is among his sheep that are scat- 
tered ; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver 
them out of all places where they have been scatter- 
ed in the cloudy and dark day.* 

" And if this doctrine be well-founded, (I con- 
tinued) what a volume of consolation it holds 
forth to the sheepfold of Jesus, under their own 
diseases, weaknesses, and wanderings ; and the 
long wanderings and wayward obstinacies and 
rebellions of their unrecovered relations and 
friends, for which they mourn so frequently at the 
mercy seat ! The lion and the bear may have 
taken the tender lamb from the fold ; but our 
David will in his time, and not ours, and the 
properest time too, go out after him, and deliver 
him from his devouring mouth. My sheep (saith 
Jesus) shall never perish. That's enough ! — Fear 
not, then, little flock ; his your Father's good pleas- 
ure to give you the kingdom.^ And how eternally 
secure must be every one of the fold, when the 
final presentation of them before the throne of 
glory is to be expressed in these words ! Behold, 
I and the children who?n the Lord hath given 
me!"\ 

* Ezek. xxxiv. 11,12. \ Luke xii. 32. \ Isa. viii. 18. 



84 ZION'S PILGRIM. 

■When I had finished my remarks, my 



friend thanked me. " I am much pleased, (he 
said) I assure you, with your ideas on the subject. 
You have, in my opinion, very sweetly spiritual- 
ized the incident of the strayed sheep : and you 
certainly have ample authority from scripture for 
the several observations you have made. The 
frequent allusion, which is there adapted to the va- 
rious circumstances of a sheepfold, is expressly 
done with this intention, to describe the Lord's 
gracious dealings with his people. 

" There is one view of the subject which hath 
often struck me, but which, so' far as my reading 
extends, hath not been sufficiently noticed, if at 
all, by any writer ; I mean, where Jesus is fol- 
lowing the thousands of his fold ; through all their 
wayward paths, amidst the lion's den, and over 
the mountains of darkness, his eye is still over 
them for good, and his arm unremittingly stretch- 
ed forth to keep them from everlasting ruin; 
though they, as yet in their unconscious state, 
senseless either of his presence or his favour, are 
making him to serve with their sins, and continue 
to nveary him with their iniquities! There is 
somewhat in this view, which opens to them a 
most precious and endearing trait in the charac- 
ter of the Lord Jesus ; when once the film which 
obstructed vision in them is removed^ to see things 
as they are, and that he hath brought home any of 
his w r anderers to his fold, on his shoulders rejoicing ! 

" If you and I, my brother," he added, " had 
the faculty of discerning objects spiritually, we 
should discover many in this situation now, who 
appear, to every eye but his who knows his own 
under all disguises, as goats, from their behaviour ; 



ZION'S PILGRIM. 85 

but yet are the real sheep of Jesus, which, by and 
by, he will gather out, and say to them, as he did 
to the church of old, Come with me, my spouse, 
from the lions' dens, and from the mountains of the 
leopards. 

" Gracious Power !" he exclaimed ; " while 
speaking of thy long-suffering to thy people, 
oh ! let me never forget, for how many years that 
long-suffering was extended to me!" 

" And to me," I cried. A moment of si- 
lence followed, when my friend resumed his dis- 
course. 

" I cannot help remarking, my friend," he said, 
" how wonderfully the Lord hath brought you on 
your way ; and particularly in the knowledge of di- 
vine things. Many there are, who, notwithstand- 
ing they are very precious plants which the Lord's 
right hand hath planted, do not make great ad- 
vances. But I may truly say of you, as the apos- 
tle did of the church of the yj icsSil I on ians, your 
faith grow cth exceedingly !" 

" Alas !" I replied", " I fear I do not grow at 
all. I cannot perceive in myself any progress." 
"•Do not say so," he answered, " for this borders 
on unthankfulness. In our desires after greater 
measures of knowledge and grace, let us never 
overlook the less ; nor, while we earnestly beg 
the Lord to bestow more, unthankfully forget 
what he hath already given. It is very true, as 
the apostle observes, that our highest attainments 
in the present state are only as the attainments of 
children; and that if any man think he knoweth 
any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to 
know. Nevertheless, an apprehension of the very 
first principles in grace, nay, the circumstance of 



86 ZION'S PILGRIM. 

being matriculated in the school of Jesus, is an 
unspeakable mercy, which a whole life of thank- 
fulness is not sufficient to acknowledge. 

" Look back, my brother," he added, " from 
the first traces you can discover of God's mani- 
festations in your mind, to the present period, and 
compare your situation then with now, and you 
will at once perceive what rapid advances you 
have been making in the divine life, under the 
teachings of God the Holy Ghost. And this is, 
in fact, the only method whereby to form a true 
estimate of ourselves. For when we draw con- 
clusions from the present only, or calculate our 
growth merely by our desires of being finally sav- 
ed, or when we erect as a standard, whereby to 
judge ourselves, the excellency of others more 
advanced ; all these models, being ill-constructed 
and ill-chosen, must invariably induce mortifying 
views of ourselves by the comparison. This is 
not, therefore, the right plan, by which we are to. 
ascertain our state. But if we so judge of our 
progress in grace, as we estimate proficiency in 
the works of nature, the method will be more ac- 
curate. In the vegetable kingdom, for instance, 
however certain an advance in growth may be, 
yet the most intense eye can never discern any 
one plant actually growing. But by the compar- 
ative observation of a few days, every one is ena- 
bled to discover, lhat a progression has taken 
place. 

"And while I am speaking of this subject of 
growth in grace, I would desire to add another 
observation, which is intimately connected with it. 
The apostle says, grow in grace ', and in the knowl- 
edge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, Now, 



ZION'S PILGRIM. 87 

if I really grow in grace, (as increasing grace hum- 
bles more and more the soul) I shall grow more 
sensible of my own worthlessness, and Christ's all- 
sufficiency ; deeper views of sin in my fallen na- 
ture will induce all those gracious effects, which 
tend to enhance the Savio ur ; a conscious sense of 
want will awaken as conscious a desire of having 
those wants supplied ; and every day's experience 
will make self more lowly, and Christ more ex- 
alted. This is to grow in grace and in the knowl- 
edge of our Lord together. The progress of 
grace therefore, connected with the progress of the 
knowledge of the Lord, must ever produce those 
effects. A little grace, like the dawn of day, when 
shining in the heart, enables the believer to dis- 
cover by this twilight somewhat of the darkness a- 
round. * In proportion as the light advances, he 
sees the objects clearer. But he then only be- 
comes sensible of all the evils lurking within, when 
the meridian brightness is completed. Grace, in 
like manner, shining in its full lustre, discovers to 
us more clearly thccon uptions of our nature ; and 
while it accomplished this puqx>se, it answereth 
the other blessed purpose also, which the apostle 
connects with it, of giving us the light of the 
knowledge of the glory of Go& in the J ace of Jesus 
Christ." 



AN INN 



It became a matter of much satisfaction, I be- 
lieve, to my fellow-traveller, as well as to myself, 
to behold the appearance of an inn on the road ; 



88 ; ZION'S PILGRIM. 

for we both needed rest and refreshment, so that 
without any deliberation we entered the door. 

" Can you accommodate us?" (said my friend to 
the host, who happened to be near the passage as 
we approached the hou se . ) " Certainly, (answer- 
ed the man) and shewed us into a room." 

"You do not forget, my brother," whispered 
my fellow-traveller to me, " which it was among' 
the pilgrims passing through this world, who 
could not find this accommodation ; there was 
no room for him in the inn. How sweetly is it 
arranged in all the various circumstances of life, 
to discover somewhat of his bright example going 
before us in almost every situation ; not by way 
of reproach, but of pointing out to us, in num- 
berless instances, the superiority of our accom- 
modations to his ! 

" There is something in the very nature of an 
inn, (continued my friend) which serves, as it ap- 
pears to me, to promote the sacred purposes of a 
pilgrimage like ours, more effectually, than almost 
any other situation ; and had I my choice on this 
point, I should like it, of all others, for my abode 
in the dying hour ; for every one is so taken up 
with his own concerns, that there is neither time 
nor inclination to attend to the affairs of others ; 
so that here a man might be free from the trou- 
blesome importunity of attendants, which some- 
times becomes a sad interruption to the soul, id 
her preparations for her j ourney into the invisible 
world, while the carriage is at the door." 

Our refreshment, consisting of a little tea and 
bread, was soon served up ; which, my friend 
having first implored the divine blessing to sancti- 
fy the use of it, we really enjoyed. " Tea is a 



ZION'S PILGRIM. 89 

very pleasant beverage (said my friend) to my 
taste ; and I should find some difficulty to get any- 
thing as a substitute, were I to be deprived of the 
Use of it. I have heard many speak of it as per- 
nicious ; but I verily believe, that one great rea- 
son why it proves so is, because it is a graceless 
meal. If we do not beg God's blessing over our 
food, how can we be surprised, if, instead of be- 
ing wholesome, it proves hurtful ?" 

After we had finished our repast, and like well- 
fed guests had arisen from the table, blessing the 
kind Master of the feast who giveth us all tilings 
richly to enjoy, we were about to enter upon the 
perusal of the " word of God," by way of profitably 
filling up the measure of time till the hour of rest ; 
when a circumstance occurred, which at once ar- 
rested the attention of us both. 



THE JEW. 

The instant we arose from the tabic, as before 
observed, there crossed the court-yard of the inn, 
opposite to the room where we were sitting, a Jew 
(as he appeared to be) with a basket of pens. My 
friend seeing him, hastily ran to the door to in- 
quire of him, whether he knew a man of the name 
of Abraham Levi, one of their people. " Yes, 
(he said) I know him very well ; but he is not one 
of my people." " How is that, (replied my 
friend) are not you a Jew?" " No, (the poor 
man said) I thank the Lord I am not. I was once, 
indeed ; but, I trust, I am now a lover of the Lord 
I 



90 ZION'S PILGRIM. 

Jesus." The effect wrought upon my mind by 
this short conversation was like that of electricity. 
m Pray, my friend, do us the favour (continued 
my companion) to walk into this room. We are 
both lovers and humble followers, like yourself, if 
you are so, of the Lord Jesus ; and we shall much 
rejoice, if you will communicate to us the pleasing 
information how this change was wrought." 
" That I will most readily, (replied the man,) for 
if it will afford you pleasure to hear, much more 
will it delight me to relate, a change, to which I 
owe such unspeakable mercies. 

* ' Without going over the whole of my history 
from my childhood, (he said) which hath very 
little interesting in it, and is unconnected with the 
circumstances of my conversion, it will be suffi- 
cient to begin it at that part w r hich alone is worth 
your hearing. It is about two years since, that I 
first began to feel my mind much exercised with 
considerations on the deplorable state of our peo- 
ple. I discovered, from reading the scriptures, 
the ancient love of God to our nation. In our his- 
tory, as a people, I saw the many wonderful and 
distinguishing mercies with which, from age to 
age, the Lord had blessed us. I remarked also, 
how, for the disobedience and ingratitude of our 
people, the Lord had punished us. But what 
struck me most forcibly was, that prophecy of 
scripture, "That the sceptre should not depart from 
Jadah, nor a law-gfoer from between his feet, un- 
til the Shiloh should come.* Whereas I saw very 
plainly, that our nation was without a sceptre, 
wit! out government, without temple. I remarked 

* 0en. xlix. 1Q. 



ZiON'S PILGRIM. 91 

moreover, that oar people were a light, and vain, 
and worldly-minded people, who took it not to 
•heart. And if the Lord had punished ou^fathers 
for their sins, dhrs deserved his displeasure more. 
Added to all these considerations, which very 
powerfully operated upon my mind, I saw a great 
mass of people living around me who professed 
themselves to be followers of the true God ; and 
who asserted, in confirmation of their faith, that 
the Shiloh was come, and to him was the gather- 
ing of the people. Distressed and perplexed in 
my mind, by reason of these various considera- 
tions, Iknew not what to do, and could hardly 
find power or inclination to prosecute my daily 
labour. 

" It happened one day, while walking over the 
bridge of the city, that, my mind being more 
than usually affected, I cold not refrain from 
pouring out my heart in prayer to God. I pans- 
ed, as I stood on the bridge, and lifting up my 
eyes towards heaven, I cried out, O God of my 
fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who hast 
declared thyself as keeping covenant-mercy for thous- 
ands ; look down upon me, a poor Jew, vouchsafe 
to teach me what I must do. Thou knowest my 
desire is to serve thee, if I knew the way. Thou art 
justly displeased with our nation and with our peo- 
ple ; for we have broken thy commandments. But, 
oh ! Lord, direct me. 

" It was with words somewhat like these (con- 
tinued the poor man) that I prayed, in which I 
wept much.. At length I walked on, and passing 
by a place of worship, where I saw many assem- 
bled, I found my heart inclined to go in. Who 
knows, I thought with myself, but the Lord 



92 ZION'S PILGRIM. 

may have directed me hither ? I went in, and 
near the door finding a seat unoccupied I entered 
into it and sat down. The minister was discours- 
ing on the mercies of God, in sending his Son to 
be the Saviour of the world. If this Saviour was 
my Saviour, I thought, how happy should I be ! I 
felt myself considerably affected, and frequently 
turned my face to the wall and wept. And many 
times, during the continuance of the service, so 
much was my heart interested by what I heard, 
that I wept aloud, and could not refrain. 

" I had disturbed some of the congregation, it 
appeared, by my behaviour ; so that, as soon as 
the service was finished, two or three of the men 
came towards me with much anger, asking me 
what I meant by coming there to interrupt their 
worship with my drunkenness. But when they 
discovered the real state of the case, and I had 
told them the whole desires of my mind, they al- 
most devoured me with kindness. This served 
very much also, under God, to convince me, that 
their religion must be the true religion, which pro- 
duced such effects. 

" Not to fatigue you with my relation, it will 
be sufficient to observe, that from that hour my 
mind began to discover hope. And as the kind 
people, into whose congregation I had thus en- 
tered, undertook to instruct me in the principles 
of the Christian faith, I soon learnt, under God, 
the fulfilment of the Jewish scriptures in the Chris- 
tian. And now I find cause, every day, more 
and more, to bless the Lord for what he hath done 
for my soul. 

" One little event more (he added) I will, if you 
please, relate, which happened soon after my go- 



ZION'S PILGRIM. 93 

ing into this church. My business of selling my 
pens obliged me to go to another city, about 
twelve miles distant from the one where I dwelt ; 
and calling at a pastry cook's shop, who occasion- 
ally dealt with me, a circumstance occurred which 
became highly serviceable to me in my new path 
of life. There sat in the shop a venerable gentle- 
man, dressed in black ; the mistress of the house 
stood behind the counter, and I was just within 
the door. A poor beggar, looking miserably ill, 
came in for a tart. " Ah! John, (cried the old 
gentleman) what, you have left the infirmary ! Is 
your disorder declared to be incurable ?" " Yes, 
Sir, (replied the poor man) they say they can do no- 
thing more for me." tc Well, John, (answered the 
old gentleman) there is one Physician more which 
I would have you try : and he never fails to cure. 
And he doth it also without money and without 
price." The poor man's countenance seemed to 
brighten at this ; and he said, " Who is he?" 
" It is the Lord Jesus Christ, (said the gentleman) 
pray go to him John, and if lie be pleased to I. 
your body it will be a blessed recovery for you 
indeed ; and if not, he can and will heal your 
soul." The poor man did not relish the advice ; 
for he went away looking angri As for me, I 

cried out, (for I could not refrain) May the Lord 
bless you, Sir, for what you have said in your 
recommendations of my Master and Saviour ! He 
is indeed all you have described him, for he hath 
cured both mv bodv and soul. Astonished at 
what I said, the gentleman expressed his surprise 
in observing, " I thought you were a Jew !" " I 
was, Sir, (I answered) once ; but by grace I am 

I 2 



94 ZION^S PILGRIM. 

now a Christian. " He caught me by the hand, and 
entreated me to go with him to his house, where J 
related to him, as I have to you, the means under 
God of my conversion. And when I had finished 
my story, at his request, we dropped on our knees 
in prayer. And oh ! Sirs, the fervour and earnest- 
ness with which he prayed, and the thanksgiv- 
ings which he expressed for the Lord's mercy to 
my soul, never shall I forget. The recollection, 
even at this distance, continues to warm my 
heart." 

When the poor man had finished his narrative, 
my friend and I looked at each other, then at him, 
and then upward. One sentiment, I am persuad- 
ed, pervaded both hearts ; and this was the lan- 
guage, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord 
God Almighty ! Just and true are thy ways, thou 
King of saints ! 

My companion offered him money, at which 
he seemed hurt. " I am sorry, (he said) that 
you should think so unfavourable of me." 
" Well, but (answered by friend) we have de- 
tained you from your employment, and it is but 
just ; as you have so highly contributed to our 
pleasure, we ought not to make it detrimental to 
your interest." " I should be very sorry, (replied 
the poor man) if my diligence would not make up 
for those occasional interruptions, which are so 
sweet and refreshing in my own heart, while giv- 
ing satisfaction to others. No, Sir, I thank you 
for your intentions ; but I cannot accept your 
offer. Besides, I need it not ; I have enough and 
to spare. God supplies all my wants, and 
enables me sometimes to help the wants of 
others." 



ZION'S PILGRIM. $5 

The poor man took his leave, after mutual 
wishes and prayers for our spiritual welfare. And 
the night being now advanced, after reading the 
scriptures and prayer, we departed each to his 
chamber. 

The town clock struck five, just after I 

awoke from a state of sleep much refreshed. I 
called to mind that sweet promise of God to his 
people, and found cause to bless him, in that it 
had been again verified to my experience ; When 
thou liest down thou shah not be afraid '; yea, thou 
shah lie down and thy sleep shall be sweet.* 

I recollected also, that manv of the Lord's child- 
ren were at that moment in a state of pain and 
suffering, and, like Job, complaining that %veari- 
some nights were appointed unto them.-\ I felt my 
heart drawn out, under the fulness of the impres- 
sion, to adopt the language of the sorrowful sisters, 
and to tell the Lord, many whom thou lovest are 
sick.% 

When we consider the defenceless state of sleep, 
and the many dangers to which our poor, fallen na- 
ture is then peculiarly exposed ; not merely to the 
ravages of enemies, against which bolts and bars 
might cast up some little security ; but the care- 
lessness o£ friends, from which none but his watch- 
ful eye, who never slumbers nor sleeps, can guard 
us ; how suitable is that sentiment of the church 
of old, to form the first impression of the mind at 
the dawn of day ; It is of the Lord's mercies that 
we are not consumed, because his compassions fail 
ngt ; they are new every morning. $ 

* Prov. iii. 24. \ Johnxl. 3. 

f Job yii.3. §Lam. iii. 22. 



96 ZION'S PILGRIM. 

I have often thought, when looking upon some 
dear child of my affection, in its unconscious 
state of sleep, what creature of all God's works is 
so truly helpless, and so much exposed to danger, 
as man in that season ! But I have not unfrequent- 
ly found relief therefrom, in the assurance that this 
very state, in the necessity of it, implies the exist- 
ence of a peculiar superintendence. And, indeed, 
the eventual experience of thousands is continually 
bearing testimony to the truth of that precious 
promise ; My people shall dwell in a peaceable habi- 
tation^ and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting 
places.* 



" THE DIARY. 

According to my constant custom, since the 
Lord was pleased to call me by his grace , I open- 
ed my diary in my little pocket companion to inquire, 
What is the 'word of the Lord recommended to my 
serious consideration to day ? For it is a favourite 
maxim of mine, with the first dawn of day, to seek 
a morning blessing from the Lord in this way, in 
one of his sweet promises. The promises of God 
are the present heritage of his people. They are 
evidently intended to be their support and stay in 
the house of their pilgrimage. In a little book, 
which I always keep by me for this purpose, to 
have recourse to as occasion may require, and 
which I call my pocket companion, I have alsQ a 
diary, containing some refreshing portion of scrip- 

* Isaiah xxxii. 18. 



ZION'S PILGRIM. 97 

ture for every day in the year. And though it can- 
not be supposed (neither will any one I should 
hope imagine) that by a selection of this kind a 
preference is given to one gracious promise to the 
exclusion of the rest, which in Christ Jesus are all 
yea and amen ; yet, as the mind is not sufficiently 
capacious, nor sufficiently alive, to exercise itself 
in the meditation of them all, it should seem to be 
no unpromising plan of usefulness to have recourse 
to one or more of them in this manner. 

I shall be exempt, I trust, from the charge of 
presumption, if I add, that I have found, at times, 
the promise in my diary so strikingly suited to 
my then circumstances, as if a voice had accom- 
panied it like that of* the apostle to the men of 
Antioch, To you is the word of this sahation sent. 

The promise for this day I found to hi Psalm 
cxxi. 5. The Lord is thy keeper. Sweet and 
precious indeed to all his people is this assurance ! 
My mind, as I lay upon my bed, was much exer- 
cised in the contemplation of God as a covenant 
God, in keeping his people. It is he which keeps 
them in the faith ; keeps them in the hour of tempta- 
tion ; keeps them from the power of the enemy ; 
from a thousand unseen, and as many visible evils ; 
from finally falling, and from eternal death. And 
though he hath no where promised to keep his peo- 
ple from tribulation, or persecution, or the strife 
and slander of tongues, from sickness, or sorrow, 
or the like ; yet he hath promised, that no weapon 
formed against t lie in shall prosper ; no temptation 
shall take them, from which lie will not make a way 
for them to escape. He will bruise Satan under 
their feet shortly. Oh ! the blessed privilege of 
those who have the Lord for their keeper ! 



98 ZION'S PILGRIM, 



MARKET-DAY. 

From the very great noise which I heard in the 
street, as I arose from my bed, occasioned by the 
passing of horses and the tumult of the people, I 
concluded that somewhat more than usual occupi- 
ed the public attention. In looking for the cause 
from the window of my chamber, which opened 
into the street, I discovered that it was market-day. 
Though the hour was so early, and the sun had 
not far advanced in climbing the heavens, yet the 
world was risen, and every one eagerly engaged in 
preparation for the sale of tl\eir different commod- 
ities. 

Ah I thought I, how just is that aphorism of 
our blessed Lord, The children of this world are in 
their generation wiser than the children of Fight* If, 
in the market-days for the soul, (I mean the pub- 
lic festivals and Sabbaths of the church) they, 
whose office it is to bring forth out of God's treas- 
ure things new and old to the people, were truly as 
anxious as those men of the world, what gracious 
effects might we not hope would follow under the 
Spirit's blessing ! 

The apostle to the Gentiles desired the church 
of Corinth to consider him and his faithful compan- 
ions under this character. Let a man (saith he) 
so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and 
stewards of the mysteries of God. A steward is an 
upper servant in a family ; one whose office (ac- 
cording to our Lord's own explanation of the 
Jewish householder) is to provide for the family, 
&c. whom his Lord hath made rider over his house- 
hold to give them their portion of meat in due season. 



ZION'S PILGRIM- 99 

And were that also properly considered, which 
the apostle adds, that it is required in stewards that 
a man be found faithful, the solicitude of the 
earthly market-man would fall infinitely short of 
that, which he feels who ministers in heavenly 
things, in proportion as the object and the end 
of the latter transcend in importance those of the 
former. How early would the stewards of Christ's 
mysteries arise, in order to prepare the feast of 
fat t kings , of wine on the dees , and of fat tilings full 
of marrow, for the mountain of the Lord's house ! 
How extremely anxious would they be, that no 
hungry nor thirsty soul of God's household should 
be overlooked or neglected ! And conscious, af- 
ter all their best and most earnest preparations, 
that there can be no actual enjoyment, no real 
participation on the people's part, but from the 
predisposing grace of the Lord ; how ought every 
steward to bring forth what he has prepared with 
prayer and supplication, that the Lord himself 
would direct every heart and influence every 
mind ! 

Imagination can hardly form a character more 
truly valuable, than the man who ministers in ho- 
ly things ; who spends his time, his talents, his 
gifts, in short, his all, to this one purpose ; who 
becomes indeed the full fid and wise steward, to 
feed the babes of Christ's household with the sin- 
cere milk of the word, that they may grow thereby; 
and them that are of full age, with strong meat, 
when by reason of use their spiritual senses are ex- 
ercised to discern both good and evil; and who, to 
both, can humbly recommend, like the apostle, 
the goodness of the food, as being what he him- 
self hath seen, and looked upon, arid tasted of the 



100 ZION'S PILGRIM. 

word of life. It must be a refreshing consolation, 
I can well conceive, in the close of life, to every 
faithful steward, after that the day's fatigue of the 
market for spiritual food is over, to be able to 
take up the same language as the apostle Paul : 
/ have kept back nothing that was prof table ; 1 
have not shunned to declare the whole counsel of 
God; I have fed the church of God, which he hath 
Purchased with his own blood; and now I commend 
you to God and to the word of his grace ! 

When I came down from my chamber, I found 
my friend waiting breakfast for- me ; for the hour 
was by this time past eight: and, as his custom 
was, he proposed inviting as many of the family as 
felt disposed, to attend our morning prayers. 
The mistress of the house, with one servant only, 
accepted the offer. And after my companion had 
read a portion of God's word, he followed it up 
with prayer. 

When the mistress and the servant had with- 
drawn, we sat down to breakfast; my friend 
having first implored the usual blessing on our 
food. 



tHE GRACE, 

" Bountiful Father of mercies, tvho art sup* 
plying "the daily wants of the millions which are 
looking up to thee from all parts of the universe ; 
we desire grace to praise thee for this seasonable 
and suitable portion of food, which thou hast 
spread before us for the support of our perishing 
bodies. And we entreat thee for grace from thy 



ZION'S PILGRIM. 101 

Holy Spirit in the use of it, that we may receive 
this and every other blessing, as coming from our 
reconciled Father and God in Christ Jesus. 
Vouchsafe, dearest Saviour, to sit at the table 
which thou hast furnished ; and may we be among 
those, which shall sit at thy table in thy kingdom ; 
and while, as thy children going home to thine 
house, thou art refreshing us thus by the w r ay, 
though all the benefit be ours, let thine be all the 
glory. Amen." 



THE PARALYTIC. 

We had scarcely finished our repast, when the 
mistress of the house came in to inform us of the 
situation of a poor man in the street, who had 
been bed-ridden for fifteen years. " He is a very 
pious creature," added the mistress, " and a 
great number of gentry go to visit him. I thought 
it might be pleasant to you to hear of him." 
"That it is, (replied my friend) and we thank 
you for it. We will go to see him. Where is 
"his dwelling ?" " Five doors only below our 
house, ' \ she answered, c ' and the waiter shall shew 
you." 

When we came into the poor man's room, 
though every thing manifested the indigence of 
his circumstances, yet it was that kind of poverty 
which recommended itself by its cleanliness. 
There stood a lady at the foot of his bed, in con- 
versation with the sick man. "How do you 
live ?" (I heard her say as I entered the chamber.) 

K 



102 ZION'S PILGRIM. 

" Live, madam ! 55 replied the poor man, " I am 
in very good circumstances, I am not only rich by 
reason of present possessions ; but I am heir to a 
large estate. " "Astonishing! 55 said she, " you 
were pointed out to me as a very poor man, and I 
came to give you some relief. 55 " That you may 
still do, madam, if you please, (answered he) for 
the riches I possess, and the inheritance to which I 
am born, do not at present make me above chari- 
ty. I am only rich in faith and an heir of the 
kingdom." "Oh ! 55 replied the lady, " is that 
all ? But in the mean time how do you manage 
for this world ? 55 " My God, 55 cried the poor man, - 
"supplies all my needy according to his riches in 
glory by Christ Jesus. I know both how to be abas- 
ed, and I know how to abound. I am instructed 
both to be full, and to be hungry ; both to abound, 
and to suffer need. When my worldly stock is 
reduced low, and I have neither scrip, nor bread, 
nor money in the purse, I make use of bank-notes. " 
" Bank-notes ! 55 (exclaimed the lady.) " Yes, mafl- 
am, 55 he answered, " here is a book full of them ; 
(taking up a Bible which lay upon the bed, and 
opening it) and often times I find many fold- 
ed up together in the same place to which I open. 
Look here, madam, " he continued ; " see, here 
is a promise suited to every poor man 5 s case. 
When the poor and needy seek for water, and there 
is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the 
Lord will hear them. I the God of Israel will not 
forsake them. I will open rivers in high places, and 
fountains in the midst oj rallies.* And the high 
value of those promises is that they/ are sure and 

* Isaiah xiL IT, 18. 



Z ION'S PILGRIM. 103 

certain. Faith draws upon the Almighty Banker, 
and his is all prompt payment." While the poor 
sick man said this, he opened the Bible to another 
part, and he exclaimed again, " See, madam, here 
is another promise to a soul under doubts and 
fears. / will instruct thee, and teach thee in the 
way wherein thou shah go ; I will guide thee with 
mine eye.* And thus madam, in every state and 
every circumstance of life, in this blessed book 
are assurances exactly suited to the wants both of 
my body and soul. Promises of provision for the 
way; deliverances under danger ; preservation in 
seasons of affliction; support under trouble ; di- 
rection in times of difficulty ; and the Lord's as- 
sured presence in every time of need. Fear 
thou not ; for I am with thee ; be not dismayed, 
for I am thy God. I will strengthen thee ; yea, 
I will help thee ; yea, I will uphold thee with the 
right hand of my righteousness. \" 

The lady, without adding any thing, put apiece 
of money into the poor man's hand, and withdrew. 
What her sentiments were, I know not. But, as 
soon as she was departed, my companion address- 
ed the sick man. " I am much delighted," he 
said, " to see you, my friend, so cheerful. It is a 
pleasing consideration, that your sickness is sanc- 
tified. But are you enabled always thus to rejoice 
in the promises ?" 

"Oh! dear Sir, (the poor man answered) no. 
Very frequently, through unbelief, I am tempted 
to exclaim, with the church of old, my hope is per- 
ished from the Lord.% I have seasons of darkness, 
and times of temptation : notwithstanding, I can 

# Psalm xxxii. 3. f Isaiah xli. 10. \ Lam. iii. 18. 



104 ZION'S PILGRIM. 

and do say, through grace strengthening mc, 
sometimes under both, Rejoice not against me, 
mine enemy ; for though I fall, 1 shall arise ; 
though J sit in darkness, the Lord %vill be a light 
unto me.* Yes, in my haste, I cry out, all are 
liars. But, blessed be the Lord under all, my 
God is faithful. He is better to me than all my 
fears." 

At the poor man's request, my friend and I sat 
down, and we had a most refreshing season. I 
could truly say, It is good to be here ! 

We parted not till we had spent a few minutes 
in prayer. And in the conclusion, the paralytic 
broke out in a faint and trembling voice, 

" My willing soul would stay 

In such a frame as this $ 
And sit, and sing itself away 

To everlasting bliss." 

Our departure from the sick-room was affecting. 
We parted as those who were to meet no more on 
this side the grave. 

At our return to the inn, our intention was to 
tarry only for the moment, just to settle with the 
host, and be gone. But an event took place, which 
not only retarded that intention, but finally set it 
aside. How short sighted is man ! What a peril- 
ous path he is walking ! 

We were returned to the inn : and while my 
friend left me to discharge the expenses which we 
had incurred there, he visited, as his manner was, 
the stables, in order to drop a word on the test things 
among that class of people who inhabit those places, 
and who are not in the way of hearing it elsewhere. 

* Micah vii. 8« 



ZION'S PILGRIM. 105 

He used to say, that, in his opinion, no order of 
beings whatever, stood in a situation more pitiable. 
Formed, as their society is, for the most part, of 
the children of the poor/ they are introduced from 
their earliest days into this path of life, without 
the smallest education, or the least idea of its use- 
fulness. And as they advance in years, though 
advancing at the same time in all the phraseology 
and corrupted manners of the stable, they remain 
totally destitute of any apprehension of divine 
truths. Perhaps without a breach of charity it 
may be said, that very few of the whole body of 
this order, whether considered as postillions, 
chaise-drivers, stage-coachmen, or ostlers, have any 
more consciousness of the things which accompany 
salvation, than the cattle with whom they herd. 

What a vast body of such characters (could the 
imagination form the group) do the various inns 
of the kingdom contain ! And what a mass of 
corrupt communication is perpetually produced in 
their daily intercourse with one another, without 
a single sentiment flowing from the lips of any to 
the use of edifying, so as to minister grace unto 
the hearers! And what tends to make the evil 
greater, as if the contagion of the stable, in the cor- 
ruption of manners, had not sufficient scope for 
exercise during the six days labour of the week, 
there is no remission to this unhappy class of be- 
ings on the Lord's day. The warning bell of the 
church, which kindly calls all ranks without dis- 
crimination to the house of prayer, calls in vain to 
them. • Unaccustomed to any means of grace, and 
unacquainted with either the morning prayer or the 
evening worship, they who among them find no 

K 2 



106 ZION'S PILGRIM. 

immediate employment, lounge their time in the 
stable ; while by far the greater part are engaged 
as drivers of stages, and diligencies, and chaise, 
to conduct, in defiance of all laws human and di~ 
vine, a set of Sabbath-breakers like themselves, 
in their several journies of business, and jour- 
nies of pleasure. The number which the various 
inns of the kingdom pour forth upon those occa- 
sions every Lord's day is incalculable. 

How frequently hath it excited my commisera- 
tion, when in some sw T eet morning of the Sabbath, 
the Diligence hath passed the street under my win- 
dow. "Alas! (I have said) what a w r retchedway 
of life must that be, which loses the very distinc- 
tion of days by such uninterrupted labour ! Surely > 
except in form, there can be no difference of char- 
acter between the driver and the horses; when 
both are trained to expect the going over the same 
tract of ground in their daily labour. " How ir- 
resistibly hath my hearty sometimes when pursuing 
the reflection, been impelled to admire, and in that 
admiration to adore, the distinguishing grace of 
God! Who maketh thee to differ from another^ 
is a sweet morsel for the gracious soul to feed on, 
whenever such occasions of reflection occur. I 
have felt the full force of it many times on the 
Lord's day ; particularly when in the same mo- 
ment in which I have beholden a party of pleasure- 
loving creatures, driving through the streets on 
their various excursions, in order to consume this 
blessed day in idleness and dissipation, I have 
seen some gracious souls gladly hastening to the 
house of God, to adore his goodness, to hear his 



ZION'S PILGRIM, 107 

word, and to implore the effusion of the Holy 
Spirit on his churches, both ministers and people, 
on this sacred day of rest ! 

— The reader will pardon this digression, I hope, 
induced by the impulse of the moment. 

My friend, as was before observed, had left me 
in the inn, in order to visit those regions of igno- 
rance and sin which the stable furnisheth. And 
never surely was a mission to the most darkened 
nations of any hemisphere more needed, than to 
such British heathens of our own. 

My friend possessed every requisite for the office. 
Added to a natural gentleness of manners and a 
suavity of deportment, he had acquired the most 
winning art of persuasion. He knew how to adapt 
his discourse in the least offensive method, so as 
to arrest the attention of his hearers. And although 
few perhaps were ever better formed to shine in 
the circle of the great and the learned ; yet he had 
imbibed the full spirit of the apostle's lesson, and 
knew how to condescend to men of low estate. 

His first endeavour was directed to find out some 
leading trait of character in the poor, uninformed 
mind of the person he addressed. His next ob- 
ject was to suit his discourse in correspondence to 
his apprehension. And in cases where but little 
opportunity offered of a personal conversation, if 
providentially any of the fraternity had acquired 
any knowledge in letters, he had the pleasing art 
of prevailing upon them to accept of one or more 
of the pious, little tracts, which are now so gener- 
ally circulated, and which he always carried about 
with him in his pocket for this purpose. 



108 ZION'S PILGRIM, 



THE STABLE BOY. 



It so happened that a poor boy, who acted as 
subordinate to the ostler in the stable, and indeed 
as a general underling to all the menial servants of 
the inn, was engaged in rubbing dowu one of the 
horses in the stall, when mv friend entered the 
stable. The gentleness and condescension with 
which my friend bid him " good morrow," so 
very dissimilar to the surly language which he in 
general received from his companions, soon called 
up his attention. And as my friend entered far- 
ther into conversation with him, first on subjects 
pertaining to his office, and then by an easy transi- 
tion, and by a manner peculiarly his own, on mat- 
ters of an higher nature, the poor lad's, heart, like 
that of Lydia mentioned in scripture, was opened 
to attend to things spoken. 

The subject (as I afterwards learnt) to which 
my friend adverted, was the happiness of that rest 
'which remaineth for the people of God, in the up- 
per and brighter world ; contrasted to the toilsome 
and unsatisfying nature of all things here below. 
And when he came to describe the love of the 
Lord Jesus in purchasing this rest for his people, 
and his affectionate desires that the poor and the 
weary, and the heavy laden should come to him, 
and find this rest unto their souls, the poor youth, 
unable to contain his emotions, melted into tears. 
He did not in so many words say what he felt, but 
his eyes expressed it. My friend, who possess- 
ed great quickness of penetration, perceiving the 
effect, without seeming to notice it, then made his 
discourse somewhat more personal; and held 



ZION'S PILGRIM. 109 

forth the pleasing consideration to his view, that 
this love of the Lord Jesus was intended for him. 
The poor boy wiped away the tear which had fall- 
en on his cheek, and drew nearer to my friend, as 
to one whose kindness had begotten confidence 
and affection ; and manifested that kind of sympa- 
thy of soul, which seemed to thank him for what 
he had said, and to request him to say more. 



THE DISASTER. 

Interested in the highest degree with this 
awakened concern in the youth, my friend had 
forgotten the situation of one of the horses in the 
stall near him, and was unconscious of any danger 
until he felt its effect. By a violent kick, which 
he received in his side, just beneath the ribs, he 
was thrown on the pavement in the stable, and re- 
mained in a state of insensibility for a considerable 
time, after we had brought him into the house 
and placed him on the bed. The alarm, given on 
the first rumour of this disaster, soon reached my 
ears ; and it was some consolation to me, in the very 
afflicting circumstance, that I was present to see 
him taken up, and very gently carried to his cham- 
ber. 

As soon as he had recovered from his fainting, 
I ventured to approach his bed-side, and, taking 
him by the hand, expressed my great concern for 
what had happened. " How unfortunate (I ex- 
claimed) is it, that you should have gone to the 
stable! How sad a thing that you should have 
stood near this horse ! If one could but have fore- 



110 ZION'S PILGRIM. 

seen" " Be patient, my kind friend, I beg of 

you, (he interrupted me with saying) and in your 
affection for me, do not forget the first principles 
of your holy faith. You are looking wholly to 
second causes, to the mere instrument ; and totally 
shutting out our gracious God from the government 
of his own world, and all his tender concern and 
gracious watching over the persons and interests 
of his people. Alas ! my dear brother, (he contin- 
ued) by this method you increase every trouble, 
and rob yourself of a thousand comforts. Would 
you have me to be angry with myself for going in- 
to the stable, or displeased with a senseless horse, 
for acting according to his nature as an horse ? As 
well might we take offence at the winter's cold, or 
summer's heat. Mere instruments are nothing, 
but as they are acted upon : and what folly it 
would be to ascribe to them a power with which 
they have no connexion ! No, no, my good friend, 
(he continued) never lose sight of that gracious 
and Almighty Being, who ordereth all things ac- 
cording to the counsel of his own will 9 , and then 
you will discover wisdom, and faithfulness, and 
love in every providence. It is not enough, (said 
he) in my apprehensions, merely to acquiesce in 
the divine will. Every true believer in Jesus 
ought to do more ; he should approve of it. It is 
one thing to say, the Lord's will be done, and anoth- 
er to say, good is the will of the Lord concerning 
me. And this is no more, after all, than what is 
frequently observed in the common circumstan- 
ces of the world. If, for example, I see an artist 
of esteemed excellence in his profession, construct- 
ing his machine upon various principles of a com- 
plicated nature ; though the whole appears to my 



ZION'S PILGRIM. Ill 

view intricate and confused, yet I take it for grant- 
ed that he knows how the several parts will har- 
monise together, and I yield an i nplicit obedience 
to his superior judgmer«t. And shall we so read- 
ily ascribe such sagacity to men, and yet venture 
to question wisdom in the arrangements of God ? 
" Do, my brother, (he rejoined) do settle this 
in your mind as an everlasting maxim : our God, 
our gracious covenanted God in Christ, is un- 
remittingly pursuing, in every minute event of his 
government over his church and people, their 
real welfare, whether it be through the path of 
pain or pleasure. If they are exercised with suf- 
fering, or even deeply drenched in affliction, it is 
because there is a needs be for it. Not a single 
pain or trouble could be dispensed with. It is 
not sufficient barely to say, that the affliction will 
ultimately do them no harm. This is but a 
negative kind of approbation. We must say 
more. It will do them, sooner or later, much 
good. And so infinitely interesting is the most 
minute circumstance in their life, that to prevent 
(were it possible) one trouble, or to add one pros- 
perous event, would derange the whole plan of 
God's government. Oh ! depend upon it, we 
are under a wise as well as a gracious superintend- 
ence. A synod of angels could not add, or dimin- 
ish, without manifest injury. 

"With respect to the present providence, (he 
added) I know not what is the will of my God 
concerning me : but one thing I know, that all 
the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto 
such as keep his covenant and his testimonies.* 

# Psalm xxv. 10. 



112 ZION'S PILGRIM. 

And, lifting up his eyes, he cried out, It is my 
mercy, thou dearest Lord of thy people, that my 
times are in thy hands! I have long been enabled, 
by thy blessed Spirit's grace, to commit my soul 
into thy keeping. Well may I then leave this 
body of sin and death to thy care." 

My companion had quite exhausted the little 
strength left him, when he had finished these 
words. I requested him to spare himself. He 
moved his head, as if consenting, and turned 
his face upon the pillow. 

To every one present, besides my friend, it ap* 
peared to be a matter of great uncertainty, for 
many days together, whether the injury he had 
sustained would terminate fatally. The surgeon, 
whom I had desired to be called in on the occa- 
sion, did not (for indeed he could not) speedily de- 
cide upon the question. The contusion was very 
great from the violence of the blow ; and the extra- 
vasation extended far around the region of the loins ; 
but the surgeon only ventured to speak of it in a 
general way, as a case which must necessarily be 
attended with great danger. But however others 
thought, the patient himself had already formed 
his opinion ; and the event proved, that that opin- 
ion was too justly founded. The period was 
arrived for his going down to the house appointed 
for all living. 

For my part, my concern was so great, that I 
seldom, unless from necessity, left his chamber. 
He had been as a father to me ; and I felt all that 
tender affection for him which a kind father might 
be supposed to excite in the mind of his son. 
And, indeed, independent of all personal attach- 
ment, my small services, during his confinement 



ZION'S PILGRIM. US 

were abundantly recompensed by the spiritual 
good that I had gathered from the many precious 
observations which dropped from his lips. And 
although I had so highly profitted from the great 
lessons on religion, which he had endeavoured to 
teach me while thing ; yet in his dying hours he 
favoured me with the sweetest instructions I had 
ever received. He had been as a kind taper, 
burning with much brightness, to lighten me on 
in the path of grace. But, like a taper, the most 
vivid rays were those which were emitted while 
expiring in the socket. 

The reader will forgive me once more, if I 
pause to remark, how exceedingly mistaken, in 
their calculation of the means of happiness, are the 
children of the world, who seek it in the various 
haunts of what is called pleasure, notwithstanding 
the constant and uniform experience of thousands, 
in every age, has determined that it is not there 
to be found. If my reader will give me credit for 
the assertion, (and I do most solemnly assure him 
of the fact) never, till the hour of my friend's con- 
finement when living in his chamber, did I know 
what that pleasure of the heart is, which arises 
from all those solemn but infinitely interesting re- 
flections which engage the mind under sorrowful 
dispensations : such (I mean) as considerations 
of the awful government of God ; the rich discov- 
eries of the importance of salvation ; the littleness 
of the earthly pursuits ; the sweetness of the sym- 
pathetic feelings ; and, in short, all that train of 
thought, connected with those ideas, which a sick 
chamber is so admirably calculated to induce. 
Circumstances of this kind, no doubt, are solemn : 

L 



114 ZXON'S PILGRIM. 

but if solemn, they are only the more congenial to 
the soul's purest enjoyments. The countenance 
may be saddened ^ but the heart is made better.* 

But to return : The stable-boy before mention- 
ed, in whose spiritual interests my friend was so 
warmly engaged at the time when this providence 
visited him, soon manifested the concern in which 
this affliction had involved him. It would indeed 
exceed all description to say what were his feel- 
ings. Every little portion of time, which he 
could spare from the demands of the stable, was 
employed in running up to the chamber door, to 
inquire after my friend. One trait in his character 
of this kind was peculiarly affectionate. He was 
always found with the first dawn of the morning, 
watching at the door of the room, in order to 
gather the earliest information from the persons 
who should first come out, how my friend had 
passed the night. 

Neither had the good man, amidst all his pains, 
forgotten him. He mentioned to me several 
times, with much pleasure, the hopes which he 
had conceived of serious impressions forming on 
the youth's mind, from the conversation which he 
had with him. And upon being told of the lad's 
frequent and earnest inquiries after him, it served to 
confirm him in this opinion the more ; and he very 
much wished to see him. The poor boy was 
soon introduced, and the interview was truly af- 
fecting. After frequent visits, the youth acquired 
some little confidence ; and my friend found ma- 
ny opportunities of instructing him in that wisdom, 
which, under God the Holy Ghost, maketh wise 
unto salvation. 

* Eccles. vii. S. 



ZION'S PILGRIM. 115 

It was seemingly a long season of uncertainty 
for the exercise of my mind in waiting the Lord's 
will, respecting the final issue of my friend's state. 
Sometimes my hopes were high, and at others low, 
according as the symptoms appeared to vary. 
But, having acquired a little portion of that pre- 
cious lesson in the school of grace, that the Lord's 
mercies are nearest unfolding, when our expecta- 
tions of them are nearest closing, I felt, I thought, 
much sweetness in that scripture ; it is good that 
a man should both hope and quietly wait for the 
salvation of the Lord. 

It was in the midst of these exercises the sur- 
geon informed me, that his apprehensions were, 
that a mortification had taken place. He had, as 
usual, in his morning visit, examined my friend's 
bruised body ; and then, for the first time, it was 
that he discovered the advancing gangrene. Our 
hopes now were all over. Whether my poor suf- 
fering friend, from our looks, or from the whis- 
pering of the surgeon, was led to suspect the 
cause, I know not ; but so it was, that he antici- 
pated the question, by saying, "I believe, Sir, 
that you find a mortification hath taken place. I 
have been free from pain in the part injured for 
several hour-/' The surgeon expressed his 
hopes, that it might not be so. But my friend, 
with a look of complacency which I shall never 
forget, replied, " Why would you wish so ? It is 
not the smallest reproach, surely, to men of skill 
and ability, when the ordination of the Lord baffles 
all the efforts of art. And with respect to my 
feelings, allow me to assure you, Sir, that it is an 
event more to be desired than dreaded. I have 
long been looking forward to this period, as to the 



116 ZION'S PILGRIM. 

happiest moment upon earth. Although I have 
the least cause of all men to be dissatisfied with 
the pilgrimage of this world, (few travellers through 
it having been more highly favoured) yet I long 
to be at home in my Father's house, and cannot 
but rejoice in the pleasing prospect ; knowing 
that when I am absent from the body, I shall be 
present with the Lord." 

The surgeon expressed much satisfaction in 
seeing his patient so composed and tranquil ; and 
soon after withdrew. When he was gone, I sat 
down by his bedside. Taking me by the hand, 
with that warmth of affection which distinguished 
his character, he thus spoke : " My kind friend 
and companion, I am going to leave you ; but I 
would say to you, as Joseph did to his brethren, 
God will surely visit y on. I have nothing to be- 
stow upon you, but my prayers. Had I indeed 
the wealth of the whole earth, it would not be 
worth your consideration. The most invaluable 
legacy I pray the Lord to give you, is, what the 
apostle coveted above all things for himself; to 
know Jems, and the power of his resurrection, and 
the fellowship of his sufferings. If the Lord gives 
you this, possessing it, you possess all things. 
And the God of all grace, who hath called us unto 
his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that you 
have suffered awhile, will make you perfect, stab- 
lish, strengthen, and settle you. 

"With respect to myself, (he continued) and 
my views concerning the awful state about to open 
before me, blessed be God, from the security I 
possess in him, who is the resurrection and the life, 
1 have no fears. I have been enabled again, and 
again, during my confinement on this bed of sick- 



ZION'S PILGRIM- 117 

ness, to take the most deliberate reviews of the 
evidences of the renewed life. And the result of 
the whole enables me to rejoice in the finished sal- 
vation of my God. It is indeed a solemn idea, 
that in a few hours I am to appear before God, 
the Judge of all. But it is my mercy, that I am 
come also to Jesus the Mediator of the new cove- 
naut. While, therefore, I look at him, who is 
Fellow to the Lordofhosi^ I find holy confidence. 
For I discover in him, and his redemption, a full, 
complete, and all-sufficient righteousness, ade- 
quate to every want, and answerable to every de- 
mand, to satisfy the law of God. 

" Under the influence of this well-grounded 
persuasion, which God the eternal Spirit, I trust, 
hath graciously wrought in my soul, I have more 
than once, since this illness, been refreshed by 
the same comfortable promise, with which the 
Lord favoured the patriarch of old, to encourage 
him in his journey, Fear not to go down into Egypt, 
I will go down with thee. So, methjnks, the Lord 
encourageth me. And I know indeed, that Jesus 
will go down with me to the chambers of the grave. 
He hath the keys of hell and the gn/\\\ lie open- 
eth, and no man shuttcth. He s/iutteth, and no 
man openeth. Oh ! it is a rapturous consideration 
to my soul, that in all places, and in all states, my 
Redeemer is with me. The covenant holds as 
firm as ever in the grave. And death, which dis- 
solves all other bonds, looseth not the bonds of 
the everlasting covenant. Our union, my broth- 
er, (he proceeded) with our great mystical Head, 
is as perfect when in the dust of the grave, as when 
that dust is animated in the body. When Jesus 
from the bush proclaimed himself the God of 
L2 



118 ZION S PILGRIM. 

Abraham^ and the God of Isaac, and t/ie God of 
Jacob, this blessed distinction of character was 
carefully marked and preserved, " God is not the 
God of the dead, but of the living* for all live unto 
him." Those patriarchs, though mouldered at 
that time for many years into dust, were still as 
much living to God, in all the purposes of cove- 
nant connexions, in their dust, as when in an ani- 
mated body. And hence the apostle observes, 
whether we live, we Ike to the Lord ; or whether 
we die, we die to the Lord ; whether we live there- 
fore or die, we are the Lord's.'-' 

My friend paused a moment to recover strength, 
and theo proceeded — u This body of mine, my 
dear brother, will very shortly be fit only for worms 
and corruption. And when in this state, the ten- 
derest hearted friend, the fondest lover would say 
of such a carcase, however engaging before it 
might have been, as Abraham did of Sarah : 
Bury my dead out of my sight. But as these sen- 
sations are not his with whom we have to do ; as 
Jesus never set his affection at first upon his peo- 
ple, for the comeliness of their persons ; so neither 
doth that affection lessen, when their comeliness is 
turned into corruption. Neither is their union with 
his person, even for a moment only, interrupted by 
death. For as the divine and human nature of the 
Lord Jesus received not the smallest separation, 
when he died upon the cross ; so of that union be- 
tween Jesus and the members of his mystical body, 
there is no dissolution, when their bodies are gath- 
ered unto their fathers, and they see corruption. 
For their souls are received into his bosom ; and 
with respect to their bodies also, they still live to 
him. Because I lhe\ saith Jesus, ye live aha. 



ZION'S PILGRIM. 119 

Every particle of their dust is the same to their 
great spiritual Head, when dust, as before that 
change. For as the union of Jesus with their 
whole persons, that is, their bodies as well as their 
souls, is indissoluble, it is evident that the same 
must continue with the dust of their bodies. And 
hence when Jesus saith, Fear not to go down into 
the grave, I will go with thee, it explains in what 
a tender and consoling sense we are to understand 
this. And indeed as in death, so in the resurrec- 
tion, the certainty of this glorious event ariseth 
from the same consideration ; for if, saith the apos- 
tle, the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the 
dead, dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from 
the dead, shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his 
Spirit that dwelleth in you.* And thus the res- 
urrection of the just is certified to them, not simply 
by the power of God, but from the indwelling resi- 
dence of the same Spirit of God, by which they are 
first awakened in grace to a new and spiritual life, 
and then finally quickened to eternal glory, by vir- 
tue of their union to the person of Jesus, from the 
operations of the Holy Ghost." 

My friend would have proceeded, but his 
strength did not admit of it. He took occasion, how- 
ever, at every interval possible, to say somewhat 
suited to the circumstances of a dying saint. The 
poor stable-boy was indulged by his master to 
spend much of his time in the sick chamber j and 
the many precious sayings which fell from him by 
way of caution, encouragement, advice and en- 
treaty, became truly edifying and refreshing both 
to him and to every attendant around. 

* Rom. viii. 11. 



120 ZION'S PILGRIM. 

It would swell the history of my pilgrimage to 
a large volume indeed, were the whole of the cir- 
cumstances which attended my friend's departure 
to be set down in it. The reader will excuse the 
omission, I hope, and rest satisfied without any 
further enumeration of particulars, than just to ob- 
serve, that he continued to the latest moment in 
the perfect enjoyment of his senses and the divine 
consolation. He sunk gradually ; and as he fell 
lower and lower, the words which he uttered evi- 
dently proved that his views of the glory about 
to open upon him were fuller and brighter. I sat 
by him, with his hand clasped in mine, when he 
died. The last words on his trembling lips were 
— « Dear Lord! » 

I buried him without pomp, and without any 
mourners, but the poor stable-boy and myself, in 
a vacant corner of the parochial church-yard. 

The youth returned with me to the inn, where 
we took an affectionate leave of each other. I 
could only say, May he who hath, I trust, begun 
a good work in you, perform it until the day of Jesus 
Christ ! 

On the morrow, having discharged all expenses 
incurred at the inn, I left it without regret. The 
situation of our first parents, so tenderly described 
by the poet,* seemed applicable to my case ; and 
* I quoted the passage to my mind as I crossed the 
court-yard. 

" Some natural tears they dropp'd, but wip'd them soon. 
The world was all before them, where to choose 
Their place of rest, and Providence their guide." , 

* Milton.} 



ZION'S PILGRIM. 121 

The time was now arrived, when a reverse of 
situation was to take place in the circumstances of 
my pilgrimage. Hitherto I had met with little 
else but joy and peace in believing. Some few 
natural fears and apprehensions, arising from the 
remains of unbelief, had now and then, it is true, 
arisen ill my mind ; but the Lord had so gracious- 
ly overruled them, that they generally ended in my 
stronger assurance, 

I have been often led since to reflect, with pe- 
culiar pleasure, on the wisdom as well as the mer- 
cy of that process of grace, through which the 
Lord is leading his people. Like Israel of old, in 
their emancipation from Egypt, of whom it is 
said, that God led them not through the land of the 
Philistines, although that was near, lest, when they 
should see war, their minds should be tempted to re- 
turn: but God led the people about through the way 
of the wilderness.* Similar to this now, is the first 
opening of the spiritual path ; the difficulties and 
discouragements arc by no means like those which 
believers meet in the alter stages of their pilgrim- 
age. Thousands there are, who, like Israel, have 
sung the song of triumph, as they did at the Red 
Sea, when a forty years travelling through a dreary 
wilderness lay still between them and Canaan. 
And many r , no doubt, like Israel too, afterwards, 
in the midst of some heavy, unlooked-for trial, 
have been prompted to exclaim in the bitterness 
of their soul, Is the lard among us or no ? 

The reader will indulge me again to pause over 
this remark, and ask him if his experience hath 
nothing of a correspondence with it ? I am per- 

* Exodus xiii. 17. 



122 ZION'S PILGRIM. 

suaded the case is very general. The gracious 
leader of his little flock, who feeds them, as it is 
said, like a shepherd, gathers (we are told) the 
lambs with his arms, and carries them in his bosom, 
and gently leads those that are with young. He al- 
ways suits the strength to the day. He propor- 
tions the burden to the back. Hence the earliest 
manifestations of divine love are generally the 
most pleasing, and, according to our conception of 
things, in that period, the most powerful. It is 
in grace, as it is in nature ; first impressions are 
most affecting. When the eye of the body sud- 
denly emergeth from darkness into light, the 
transition is most strongly felt. And in like man- 
ner, when the eye of the soul is first opened to see 
the wondrous things of God's -law, the effect is 
proportionabiy greater than when accustomed to 
their view. 

I could wish the reader of long experience 
would consider this more than, I am persuaded, is 
generally done ; and mark it down in the diary of 
his pilgrimage. These things formed many hard 
problems in David's life ; until frequent experi- 
ments, aided by frequent visits to the sanctuary, 
explained them. It w r as not in the first trials that 
he adopted that sentiment, I know that thou in 
faithfulness hast afflicted me.* It becomes a very 
blessed proof of advances in grace, when the tried 
soul can use such language. 

But to return. The season was come when 
my exercises were to be given me. And for the 
better opportunity of trial, all human aid ,was to be 
first withdrawn ; that like the pelican in the wilder- 

* Psalm cxix, 75. 



ZION'S PILGRIM. 123 

ness, being solitary, Jesus might be my sole re- 
source. My faithful friend and companion, the 
Lord had removed out of my sight. He had sent 
the worm to destroy this highly prized gourd. 
And now the storm began. 



MY RELATIONS. 

I have not, according to the usual mode of his- 
tories, brought my reader in the former part of my 
tale acquainted with an account of my connexions 
in the world. The reason hath been, that objects 
of an higher and more interesting nature claimed a 
priority of attention. It would not even now be 
at all important in the memoirs of a Pilgrim to 
Zion, to inquire " to whom related, or by whom 
begotten." But if he wishes to know, he may be 
told, that I have not been without the enjoyment 
of those sweet charities of life. Trie Lord hath 
given me many who are very near, and very dear, 
to my affection in the tics of nature. Even in the 
very moment while writing, I feel all the tender in- 
fluences of the claim ; and pause to lift an eye of 
humble supplication to the God of all grace, that 
he may give to every one of them grace according 
to the measure of the gift of Christ. Grace doth 
not destroy, it only heightens and refines our feel- 
ings. 

Among the number there was one more inti- 
mately wrapped about my heart, whose influence 
in every thing but religion, I have ever found it to 
be both my interest and my happiness to feel : for 
whom there needs no other claim than nature's 



124 ZION'S PILGRIM. 

feelings to call forth every energy of the mind in 
the promotion of her welfare ; and ill grace, my 
earliest and latest prayers for her salvation will 
cease but with my breath. 

Perhaps some reader, circumstanced in the 
same particularity of situation and of sentiment, 
may feel his mind drawn out in a similar affection. 
As in water face answer eth to face ', so the heart of 
man to man.* 

I sustained very much of conflicts and persecu- 
tion from the whole of my unawakened relations. 
But from her, in the sweet and almost irresistible 
claims, in which her arguments were encircled 
ten-fold more than all. " You have made up your 
mind, I suppose, (said one of them to me, in a 
very pointed and half-angry manner, one day when 
the conversation had been serious) to forego all 
your future prospects in this world. Neither the 
profits nor pleasures of this life can be worth yonr 
attention. And as to the scorn and derision of 
mankind, no doubt you move in an atmosphere too 
high to be sensible of it." " I do very earnestly 
wish (said another) that you would reflect, before 
it be too late, of the folly and scandal of associat- 
ing yourself with such low and ignorant persons, 
as you have lately made your companions. A man 
of your education and ability to be seen with such ! 
Have you no pride, no regard to your own char- 
acter?" A third upbraided me with blasting all 
the hopes of my family ; and that I should cer- 
tainly bring myself to beggary. And a fourth 
very jocularly desired me first to be assured of the 
reality of what I professed to be looking forward 

* Proverbs xxvii. 19. 



ZION'S PILGRIM, 125 

to another world for, before that I relinquished all 
the prospects and enjoyments of this. 

But all these were trifling, compared to the so- 
licitations, the remonstrances, the jealousies, dis- 
pleasure, and a long train of other persuasions, 
with which that very near and tender friend before 
mentioned armed herself to prevail upon me to 
relinquish my pursuit. And if no power but na- 
ture had been with me to resist her claim, very 
sure am I, that I must have yielded to entreaties 
coming from an advocate so endearing. " If, 
(said she, in a moment of peculiar solemnity, after 
speaking of a dear friend to both, departed into 
the world of spirits) if those new sentiments of 
yours be really founded in truth, what is become 
of him whom we followed to the grave ? It is im- 
possible that so much sweetness and amiableness 
can be lost?" The reader who knows what the 
conflicts of nature and grace mean ; whose heart 
at times is like that of the Shulamite in the con- 
tentions of two armies, will know somewhat of 

what I have felt in those seasons. Adored 

Redeemer ! I have not wanted, thou knowest, that 
evidence of being thy follower ; in plucking out 
an eye, cutting off an arm, and taking up a cross ! 
It was the legacy of my late companion, that I 
might know the fellowship of Christ's sufferings. 
And here was an answer to his prayer. 

It was much about the same period, in which 
my mind was thus deeply exercised with the un- 
ceasing importunity and persecutions of my rela- 
tions, that I received a more formidable assault 
from another quarter. While I was seeking con- 
solation from retirement and reading, in die inter- 

M 



126 JZION'S PILGRIM. 

-vals of more important engagements, a circum- 
stance arose in consequence of the 'latter, which 
very much affected me. 



THE BOOK. 

I found an author, whose writings were partic- 
ularly directed to the subject of divine grace. The 
title first attracted my notice, and invited me to the 
perusal. But the trial it afterwards proved to me, 
will be (I hope) thus far useful, to caution me 
against curiosity in future. It is a good thing 
(the apostle saith) that the heart be established 
"with grace.* But it is dangerous in the unexpe- 
rienced and the unestablished, to be running about 
in quest of novelty. The leading doctrines of this 
writer's creed, founded on what hath been general- 
ly distinguished by the five poi?its of the Dort 
Assembly, from being originally formed there, 
were to this purpose : That grace is equally free, 
and equally offered to all ; the acceptance or refu- 
sal of it depended upon ourselves. And hence, 
that the improvement or mis-improvement rests 
upon the will of man : That the regeneration of 
the Holy Ghost doth not so operate as to be irrest- 
ibly effectual, but that a man's own conduct may 
frustrate the life-giving power. And, lastly, the 
final perdition of the people of God is very possi- 
ble, notwithstanding all that the everlasting love 
of the Father, and the infinite merits of the Re- 
deemer, and the operation of the Holy Ghost, hath 
wrought, in order to prevent it. 

* Heb. xiii. 9. 



ZION'S PILGRIM- 127 

The reader who hath accompanied me thus far 
in my pilgrimage, hath seen enough of my weak- 
ness not to know, that such a train of doctrine was 
sufficient for a time to throw a damp upon all my 
confidence. I am like the sensitive plant in these 
things ; the least touch makes me recoil. To 
hear, therefore, of the bare possibility of falling, 
from grace, in the close of life, and apostatizing 
from him whom my soul loveth — (and apostatize I 
certainly should, if the perseverance depended 
upon myself) what a distressing apprehension ! 

Neither did my trials end here. There was yet 
another in reserve for this season of temptation. 
What David remarks of the natural world is 
equally applicable to the spiritual : Thou makest 
darkness, and it is night ; wherein all the beasts of 
the forest do creep forth. When the Lord with- 
draws his shining on the soul, the enemy, who" 
knows the time of darkness to be the most favour- 
able for his work, goeth about as a roaring Hon, 
seeking whom he may devour. And never till the 
sun ariseth again, will he lay him down in his 
den* 



THE BROTHERS 



It happened of an evening, while my mind was 
reeking under all these united attacks, that I 
walked forth into the way. My path lay through 
a field, in which there were two men ; who, from 
the congeniality of their sentiments, more than 



* Psalm civ. 20—22. 



128 ZION'S PILGRIM. 

from the tie of consanguinity, I considered to be 
brothers. They were so engaged in conversa- 
tion, as they walked before me, that I escaped 
their notice ; so that I had opportunity of hearing 
the whole of their discourse unperceived. 

11 Can you reconcile your mind to the doctrine 
of redemption, (said the one to the other) and place 
the least confidence in the merits of Christ ? For 
my part (continued he) I am quite a free thinker. 
I see no necessity upon which it is founded. The 
world, take it altogether, according to my opinion, 
is good enough ; and cannot need an expiation. 
And, indeed, when I "consider what modern dis- 
coveries have been made respecting the immensity 
of creation, and that the globe which we inhabit is 
but as a speck in it, the idea lessens the doctrine 
of revelation altogether in my esteem." 

" You are perfectly right, (answered the other) I 
have long thought as you do, and have made up 
my mind to reject it altogether. All the doctrines 
of Christianity, excepting the moral part of it, 
(and that the world had before) are, in my esteem, 
only calculated for weak and vulgar minds. And 
indeed their authority is precarious : depending 
upon writings that, for ought we know, may or 
may not be true." 

The reader will at once conclude that these ob- 
servations tended not to dissipate my former 
gloom. And although, low as my spirits then 
were, I thought a mere child in grace might easily 
have refuted their false reasonings ; yet my mind 
was too sore and too sorrowful in the moment, to 
enter into controversy. Every application to a 
wound, if put m with roughness, acts like a cans* 
tic. 



ZION'S PILGRIM. 129 

I had heard enough not to covet more ; and 
therefore withdrew from the brothers as unperceiv- 
ed as I came. The words of Job struck my mind 
with great force as I left them : Shall he that 
contendeth ivith the Almighty instruct him : He 
that repro^eth God y let him answer it.* 

It was a considerable time before I was enabled 
to shake off the ill effects induced in my mind by 
reason of the conversation which I had overheard 
between the brothers. Not that my faith (I bless 
the great Author and Giver of it) was in any dan- 
ger of being overthrown thereby. For a faith like 
mine, founded in grace, will ultimately triumph 
over all the powers of nature. He that is born of 
an incorruptible seed liveth and abideth forever ; 
and therefore nothing corruptible can destroy it. 
It may apparently be choked with weeds, and may 
at times languish and seem ready to die. But 
die it cannot ; for the seed is incorruptible. And, 
by the way, I would desire my reader to set this 
down, in the memoranda of his mind, as an ever- 
lasting maxim, that what originates in God cannot 
be lost by man. Divine teachings baffle all the 
malice of human reasonings. 

But my disticss induced by the conversation 
which I had heard sprung from another source. 
There is in every man's heart, even when in a re- 
newed state, a much stronger propensity to evil 
than good. Hence nothing is more easy, than the 
introduction of a train of corrupt thoughts into 
the mind, which the greatest exertions, void of 
divine aid, cannot afterwards expel ; while on the 

M2 

* Job xl. Z 



130 ZION'S PILGRIM. 

contrary, the chaste and pure images of grace , 
tending as they do, in every instance, to mortify 
and subdue the corrupt desires of our nature, 
nothing but an higher influence than what is hu- 
man can gain admission for them at the first, or 
cause them to be cherished when received. And 
this explains why it is that false impressions, from 
being more congenial to our nature, are more easy 
of access, and more permanent in their duration, 
than the true. 

I know not, reader, what your feelings on this 
point are ; but with me, I confess, this is quite 
the case. It is a work of much difficulty with 
me to keep alive in my mind the remembrance of 
some sweet portion of scripture, or some delight- 
ful verse in a psalm or hymn, to help me on to 
the hour of meditation and prayer. Whereas the 
idle, corrupt jingle of some unmeaning song, 
which was lodged in the memory of my boyish 
days, too frequently rises to my recollection, In 
spite of all my endeavours to suppress it ; and I 
fear that, if encouraged, I could repeat it with 
the greatest exactness. Pause, to observe with 
me what a decisive proof this is of the remains of 
indwelling corruption ! 

It was an ill effect of this kind, which the scep- 
tical conversation of the brothers left upon my 
mind. By the ludicrous turn which they gave 
to some portions of scripture, and the impious 
and bold reasonings which they made on others, 
they gave birth to a train of images within me, 
which, like a spectre, arose continually to my 
view. 

I stop the reader one moment, again to remark, 
snd what I (humbly conceive) if closely adopted, 



ZION'S PILGRIM. 131 

will not prove an unprofitable remark ; how little 
they consult their own happiness who mix indis- 
criminately with the world ; and who are not sen- 
sible of the dreadful consequences of seeing and 
hearing the corruptions which are going on in life. 
What from the lightness and indifference to di- 
vine things, with which some treat the truths of 
God, and what from the open contempt poured 
upon them by others, it is really like running in- 
to the midst of pestilence, to come within the cir- 
cle of their society. Our eyes are purveyors of 
the evil, and our ears inlets of the corruption. 
And never was that aphorism of Solomon more 
necessary to be observed, than in the present 
moment : Enter not into the path of the wicked, 
and go not in the way of evil men. Avoid it ; pass 
not by it; turn from it, and pass away.* For mv 
own part, I have never found my peace of mind 
so unbroken, as since I have totally withdrawn 
myself from all but the necessary and unavoidable 
intercourse with men of the world. By ceasing 
from their communion, we live out of the reach 
of the contagion of their principles ; and we live 
above the influence of their good or bad opinion. 
And it is a maxim of as much salutary conse- 
quence to the mind, as it is to the body, to breathe 
a pure atmosphere.' You cannot come within 
the region of any thing filthy and corrupt, but its 
poisonous effluvia will attach themselves to you. 

I have often thought what a peculiar providence 
it was, that while my mind was under the im- 
pression of such accumulated trials, God should 
direct my steps towards the means of relief. But 

* Prov. iv. i i. 



132 ZION'S PILGRIM, 

so it was, that in prosecuting the path of my pil- 
grimage, as I passed the road, there stood an 
house on my right hand, with this inscription in 
the front of it > 



THE HOUSE OF THE INTERPRETER. 

I considered it then, as experience hath 
taught me to regard it many times since, as among 
the special appointments of a covenant God, that 
my path was directed this way. He hath prom- 
ised to bring the blind by the way they know not ; 
and in this instance nothing could be more pointed. 
I pity the man from my heart, who passeth 
through life and discovers nothing of divine wisdom 
arranging and ordering all the events of it ; and par- 
ticularly in those instances where the Lord's ene- 
mies are promoting and forwarding by their uncon- 
scious conduct the very designs, which they are 
seemingly opposing. There is something very 
striking in proof of a divine superintendance, when 
men unintentionally fulfil that will, which all their 
designs andaction^ire directed purposely to thwart. 
When the sons of Jacob sold their brother for a 
slave, little did they dream that Joseph's future 
dignity and Israel's salvation were to result from 
this crusty. Nay, (what is infinitely more impor- 
tant, and an higher testimony than this) when the 
Jews had nailed the Lord of life and glory to the 
cross, who should have thought that from that 
very cross all the everlasting happiness of his peo- 
ple was to spring ? And, (to compare small things 
with great) when the persecutions of my relations t 






ZION'S PILGRIM. 133 

the false reasonings of the author whose book I had 
read, and the conversation of the infidel brothers, 
which all conspired to give me such distress, be- 
came the very foundation under God of my es- 
tablishment in grace ; who will but conclude, that 
such a peculiar coincidence of circumstances can- 
not be the result of any thing fortuitous, but com- 
£th forth (as the prophet speaks) from the Lord 
of hosts, who is wonderful in counsel and excellent 
in working.* 

It will be, no doubt, one portion of the felicity 
of heaven, to look back and trace the whole of our 
eventful history to the full. liiit ic is now, in my 
esteem, walking in the highway of communion 
with God, when at any time we are enabled to 
trace it in part here below. 

The house of the interpreter. — I have read of 
such an house and of such a character, as being 
in the pilgrim's path, when in my days of child- 
hood. But I knew not at that time, that I should 
myself Live to behold either of them realized. A 
thought, however, struck me as I read the inscrip- 
tion ; " Perhaps I may find here some help to 
explain to me the difficulties with which I am at 
present exercised !" I recollected what Job had 
said, that if there be a messenger with him, an in- 
terpreter, one among a thousand, to shew unto man 
his uprightness ; then he is gracious unto him.f 
Encouraged by these considerations, I drew near 
to the house. The door was wide open. Jesus 
hath said, Behold, I have set before thee an open 
door, and ?w man can shut it.% I found that it open - 

* Isaiah xxviii. 29. | Job xxxiii. 23. 

% Rev. iii. 8. 



134 ZION'S PILGRIM. 

ed into a spacious vistibule ; in one of the com- 
partments of which there was written, in large 
characters, as follows : 



THE RULES OF THIS FAMILY. $ 

q First. It is expected that every one who comes (> 

under this roof, fail not to be present at family Q 

prayer, and the reading of the scriptures. q 

q Secondly. It is hoped that, beside these things, Q 

© attention be given to the private engagements of 

fi the closet. They who begin the day in prayer, q 

J) will probably find cause to end it in praise. 3 

© Thirdly. The apostle's maxim is to be invaria- 

® bly followed, under the divine blessing : in all q 

J) things having conversation as becometh the gospel of 

© Christ: that no corrupt communication may proceed ^ 

J) out of the mouth, but that, which is good to the use q 

of edifying^ that it may minister grace unto the (J 

© hearers. Ephes. iv. 29. 

5 Lastly , Whatsoever is done in word or deed) all is q 

q to be done in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving 

© thanks to God and the Father by him. Colos. iii. 17. yt 

© " ' £ 

© 77? ♦— 

^ To every one who, looking up for grace to ren- rj 

der it effectual, sincerely desires to act in con for- q 

© mity to these rules, the good man of the house 

V saith, " Come in, thou blessed of the Lord, where- x 

fore standest thou without ?" Gen. xxiv. 31. (j 



Thus invited, I entered the door, and found that 
it led into a large room like an hail. There were 
several persons seated round a table, at the head 
of which a venerable old man appeared to preside. 
Having taken my place at the bottom, to which the 



ZION'S PILGRIM. 135 

kind looks of the master at the top seemed to invite 
me, I soon discovered, by what dropped from his 
lips in discourse, that the characters around me 
were Zion's Pilgrims like myself, and that the 
Lord of the way had directed them in his provi- 
dence hither for refreshment and counsel. 

It is a very precious thing, when little societies 
meet together on gracious errands. There is a 
restraint upon the mind in the assembly that is 
mingled. Two cannot walk together except they be 
agreed. I venture to believe that more or less, ev- 
ery follower of the Redeemer knows somewhat of 
this in his own experience. And it should seem 
that the dear Lord himself, at his last suppef, re- 
strained those sweet and incomparable discourses, 
which the apostle John hath recorded in the four- 
teenth and following chapters of his gospel, until 
Judas the traitor had withdrawn. For as soon as 
he was gone out, Jesus said, Now is the son of man 
glorified ; and immediately the Lord began his 
fare w el sermon. 

At this assembly of the Interpreter's, there was 
somewhat visible in every countenance, which 
indicated that they were all of one heart and of one 
soul. They were come together to lay down their 
several burthens, and to unbosom their minds to 
each other. And the good man of the house 
seemed to be deputed to speak a word of consola- 
tion to every case. 

I found my mind much relieved under one part 
of my burthen, (I mean under the sorrows induced 
from the persecutions of my relations J by what the 
Interpreter said to a woman in the company under 
similar circumstances. " My best advice to you 
(he said) will be, to recommend you to seek grace 



136 ZION'S PILGRIM. 

in order to adopt the prophet's example. For 
when he found no favour from man, he recollect- 
ed that he had the favour of God. So that how- 
ever wicked the times were in which he lived, yet 
the righteousness of Jehovah was unchangeable. 
The best of them (he said) was as a brier, t/ie most 
upright is sharper than a thorn hedge. Who there- 
fore could venture to come near either ? 

" Your case, you see, is not singular, in the 
linkindness you sustain from your relations on 
account of your religion. In all ages it hath been 
the same. And hence the prophet saith, Trust ye 
not in a friend; put ye not confidence in a guide ; 
keep the doors of thy mouth from her thatlieth in thy 
bosom. For the son dishonoureth the father ', the 
daughter riseth up against her mother y and the 
daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law ; a 
marts enemies are the men of his own house. But 
what was the prophet's conduct under these heavy 
troubles ? Therefore, (saith he) / will look unto 
the Lord : I will wait for the God of my salvation : 
my God will hear me.* The more the world 
frowns, the sweeter will be the smiles of Jesus. 
And the greater unkindness' you meet with from 
your relations, the greater will be your esteem of 
the affection of the Redeemer. What, though all 
your earthly connexions fail, and their friendship 
is continually fluctuating and changeable ; yet in 
Jesus you find an unchanging friend at all times ; 
one born for adversity, and who sticketh closer than a 
brother. 

" And it should very evidently seem, that God 
overrules those very events which tend to loosen 

* Micah vii. 4, 5, 6. 



ZION'S PILGRIM. 137 

our attachment to every thing here below, on pur- 
pose to raise our affections, and to fasten them on 
the great objects which are above. By tinging 
our most innocent enjoyments in this mortal state 
with vanity and disappointment, what is it but in 
effect saying, Arise ye and depart, for this is not your 
rest, because it is polluted ? There is much mean- 
ing in that word of the prophet, therefore ; when 
he says, Therefore I will look unto the Lord ; that 
is as much as to say, Because all things else are 
dissatisfying, I will look where I am sure not to be 
disappointed. Though all creatures leave me, 
my Creator is the same ; and though every earth- 
ly friend foil me, my heavenly Friend never will. 
O, depend upon it, let a child of God be persecu- 
ted, forsaken, slighted, or despised ever so much 
by man ; yet while he hath a God to look up to, 
and a covenant-God to trust in ; while he can say 
My God y he may at the same time with full assur- 
ance say, He will hear vie. 

" And I believe it possible, nay more than pos- 
sible, even frequently induced by divine grace, 
that w here the love of God is shed abroad in the 
heart in its fulness and strength, it drives out all 
lesser considerations ; as the effulgent brightnc 
of the sun puts out the fire of the hearth. And it 
is in this sense we must accept that otherwise 
seemingly harsh doctrine to flesh and blood, where 
the Redeemer saith, If any man come to me, and 
hate not his father \ and mother % and wife, and 
children, and brctlircn, and sisters, yea, and his life 
also, he cannot be my le. That the apostle 

Paul felt the influence of this hating his own life, 
no one will question, who attends to the holy 

N 



138 ZION'S pilgrim; 

saint's groaning under the body of sin and death, 
which he tells us he carried about with him. 
And that a believer in the present hour, who 
knows what it is at times to loathe and even hate 
his own flesh from the corruptions of it, may with- 
out violence to the purest affections be well sup- 
posed to feel something of obedience to the Re- 
deemer's precept, in hating every tie which tends 
to separate the soul from the great and unrivalled 
object of its love, will not be doubted. Whom 
have I in heaven but thee ? and there is none upon 
earth that I desire beside thee, is an appeal, 
which many besides David have been enabled to 
make." 

When the Interpreter had finished his discourse 
to the woman, he addressed himself to me ; and 
concluding from my appearance among the circle, 
that one and the same motive as brought others to 
his house, had brought me also, he desired to 
know what was the immediate subject of my pres- 
ent attention. 

I simply repeated to him the distress with which 
my mind had been exercised, since I had perused 
a little book on the subject of grace, and had over- 
heard the conversation between the brothers. 

He prevented my adding more, by saying, " I 
know very well that author's writings, and can ea- 
sily conceive how his reasonings may have opera- 
ted upon your mind. But a moment's reflection, 
under God the Spirit's teaching, will be enough to 
refute doctrines of such a tendency. 

"To suppose that the gift of God's grace de- 
pends upon man's merit, is to invert the very order 
of things, and make the creature the first mover in 
his salvation ; which is in direct opposition to the 



ZION'S PILGRIM. 139 

whole tenor of scripture. This,, if true, would 
destroy God's foreknowledge. 

" To imagine that our acceptance or refusal of 
grace is the result of our own pleasure, is to rob 
God of another of his glorious perfections of char- 
acter : for it is in effect saying, that man is more 
powerful than his Maker, in that what God wills, 
man may defeat. And this takes from God his 
omnipotence. 

"To fancy that our improvement, or misim- 
provement of grace, will render it effectual, or the 
contrary, is committing another breach on the 
divine attributes ; for this is reducing the covenant 
of grace to a covenant of works. And hence, af- 
ter all God hath said and promised, concerning the 
freedom, and fulness, and sovereignty of his salva- 
tion, in this case, the event of it would depend on 
the merit of the creature. And this is taking 
from God both his wisdom and his glory. 

11 And to believe, after what God the Father 
hath given, and God the Son hath accomplished 
for the salvation of his people in a covenant way, 
that souls renewed by God the Holy Ghost, and 
called with an holy calling, may yet "finally perish ; 
this is bringing down redemption work to so pre- 
carious and uncertain an issue, as must leave it 
altogether undetermined, whether a single believ- 
c r shall be saved, or not. And this throws to the 
ground the distinguishing character of God's im- 
mutability. 

M "I will very readily grant (continued the In- 
terpreter) that grace is brought forward into many 
sharp and trying dispensations in the lives of the 
faithful. God is certainly exercising the gifts of 
his Holy Spirit which he bestows upon them, by 



HO ZION S PILGRIM. 

temptations and troubles, and a variety of provi- 
dences. And, in fact, such must be the case. 
For unexercised grace would otherwise find no 
scope to manifest itself. But for any one to im- 
agine from hence, that our acceptance with God 
depends upon the event of those exercises, would 
be to make the present life a life of probation and 
trial, as some injudicious teachers have taught their 
people, and to render the Redeemer's merits and 
death still questionable, whether it w 7 ould be- 
come available for the sinner's justification be- 
fore God. 

*' Blessed be the divine benignity, things are 
not so ! It is our mercy that the finished and com- 
plete salvation of the Lord Jesus doth not rest 
upon so uncertain a tenure. An everlasting cov- 
enant ordered in all things and sure can never 
leave the issue of it doubtful. What Paul saith, 
when resting the whole stress of the sinner's hope 
for acceptance before God, upon the justifying 
merits of Christ Jesus, may be equally applied to 
the case of every believer ; / do not (says he) frus- 
trate the grace of God ; for if righteousness come by 
the law j then Christ is dead in vain." 

My heart rejoiced in the consolation. God be 
adored, (I cried) who hath brought me to this 
place, and hath given you (taking the Interpreter 
by the hand as I said it) the tongue of the learned, to 
kno%v how to speak a word in season to him that is 
weary.* I see now the fallacy of those argu- 
ments, in that book, by which my mind hath 
been exercised with distress. 

<* Isaiah li. 8. 



ZION'S PILGRIM. 141 



THE PICTURE ROOM. 

After this conversation, the Interpreter led 
me, and the few pilgrims also who were standing 
at that time around him, into the Picture Room, 
to explain to us a beautiful representation of the 
Jewish passover. 

" Perhaps (said the good man of the house) it 
may never have struck you, that so infinitely im- 
portant a point in the salvation of sinners is the pre- 
cious death of the Lord Jesus, that the Holy Ghost 
caused it to be shadowed out, by various repre- 
sentations in his church, according as the several 
objects intended to be accomplished by it required. 

" See here (said he, pointing to the first com- 
partment in the painting) the passing over the 
houses of the Israelites, by the destroying angel. 
Here are no bolts, no bars to their windows. But 
behold that blood on the lintel, and on the two 
side posts ; this became the security. Now this 
represents the deliverance of the sinner from divine 
visitation for sin. Hence the Lord Jesus is said 
to have delivered us from the wrath to come. 

" But it is not enough to deliver from the wrath 
to come, if that had been all that the Lord Jesus 
had accomplished by redemption; our nature, 
though rescued from merited punishment, would 
still have continued polluted and defiled, without 
an expiation; and, consequent^, incapable of 
drawing nigh to God. See here, therefore, (cried 
the Interpreter, pointing to the second compart- 
ment in the painting) the great doctrine of atone- 
ment, represented in the death of the Lamb. And 
N2 



I4S ZION^S PILGRIM. 

this doctrine is again more fully typified by the 
sin offering on the day of atonement. Levit. iv. 

" Neither is that all. Our deliverance from 
wrath and the expiation of our souls from sin, 
though exempting from merited punishment, and 
cleansing away the guilt of our nature, yet could 
not qualify for the enjoyment of happiness with- 
out a change of heart. Hence, therefore, the 
regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost, as 
essential to prepare the mind for divine commu- 
nications here, and glory hereafter, became an in- 
teresting point in the doctrine of salvation. And 
this was represented in the Jewish church by the 
typical purifications enjoined under the law. Here 
(cried the Interpreter, pointing to a third division 
of the painting) is a cluster of them sketched to- 
gether. In the passover the leaven was put away: 
implying, the regeneration of the heart maketh all 
things new. And the cleansing of the leper, and 
the living bird dipped in the blood of the slain over 
running water, and causing it to fly away in the 
Open field : these all shadowed it out. Levit. xiv. 
" And, finally, you see, (said the Interpreter) 
in order to confirm all the new covenant promi- 
ses, Moses is here described as sprinkling the 
people with the blood, to intimate, that, in the 
conveyance of those mercies in Christ Jesus, it is 
not enough that the blood of Christ is shed, but it 
must be personally applied. This office of the 
Holy Ghost is therefore here represented in the 
fourth compartment of the picture, to testify that 
Christ is made God unto us, wisdom, and righteous- 
ness, and sanctification, and redemption ; that ac- 
cording as it is written, he that glorieth, let him 
glory in the Lord. 



ZION'S PILGRIM. 143 

" I hope (said the Interpreter, when he had fin- 
ished his remarks on the picture) that God hath 
given you grace to understand all these things- 
Now let me conduct you to a spot, which, if I 
mistake not, will do more under his blessed teach- 
ing to relieve your mind from the distressing 
doubts the sophistry of the infidel brothers hath 
occasioned, than all the volumes of human learn- 
ing. What a man's real sentiments are will best 
be known in his dying moments. In that hour 
the mask of deception fells off; and you may be 
sure then to see his real features." 

Saying this, the Interpreter took me by the 
hand, and led me into an outer court ; the rest 
of our little company followed us. After de- 
scending a very deep flight of steps, we came to 
a cave. He opened an iron gate, and upon enter- 
ing it I found myself surrounded with 

MONUMENTS. 

In this solemn spot, the first thing that caught 
my attention was the tomb of the Author of the 
Leviathan. Alas! (said I) is that the memento 
of that celebrated infidel of the last age? " The 
very same, (answered the Interpreter) that is the 
man whose writings poisoned the mind of the 
Earl of Rochester, as that nobleman himself de- 
clared, after his conversion. The author of the 
Leviathan lived to be an old sinner, for he was 
upwards of ninety when he died. His life was 
rendered remarkable for the many blasphemous 
expressions he uttered against God and his holy 
word. He was always bold in impiety when in 
company, but very timid when alone. If he 



144 ZION^S PILGRIM. 

awoke in the night, and found his candle extin- 
guished, he was full of terrors. His last words, 
as related of him, were, " I shall be glad to find 
a hole to creep out of the world !" 

And pray whose monument is that (said I to the 
Interpreter) which hath a bust on the tablet of it, 
looking so pensive ? u Read the inscription it 
bears, (replied the Interpreter) and, from his latest 
confessions, which are there recorded, you will 
recollect whose it is." I looked with attention, 
and read as follows : 

" I have run the silly round of business, and 
of pleasure, and have done with them all. I have 
enjoyed all the felicities of the world, and conse- 
quently know their futility, and do not regret 
their loss. I appraise them at their real value, 
which is, in truth, very low. Shall I tell you that 
I bear this melancholy situation with that merito- 
rious constancy and resignation which most people 
boast of? No. For I really cannot help it. I 
bear it, because I must bear it, whether I will or 
no. I think of nothing now but killing time the 
bestwaylcan. It is my resolution to sleep in A 
the carriage during the remainder of my journey." 

" Well, my friend, (cried the Interpreter, when 
I had finished reading the inscription) what are 
your ideas of infidels now ? Here they speak plain- 
ly -what are their real sentiments." 

I think (answered I) my situation is like that of 
David's, when he went into the sanctuary of God : 
I now understand the end of these men — How 
truly awful ! 

Turning myself round, by way of passing from 
the contemplation of a sight so very distressing, 
I beheld in one niche two sculptured figures to- 



ZION'S PILGRIM. 145 

gether, on one column. Who are these ? (I 
cried.) " This on your right hand (answered the 
Interpreter) is the great Apostle of Infidelity, (as 
he affected to be called) of a neighbouring nation. 
And him on your left is a celebrated historian of 
our own. 

" The former in great agonies of mind ex- 
claimed to his physician, " I am abandoned both 
by God and man. Doctor, (cried he) I'll give 
you half I am worth, if you can give me life six 
months !" And upon the Doctor's telling* him he 
feared he could not live six weeks ; " Then (he 
replied) I shall go to hell !" and expired soon af- 
ter. 

" The latter spent his last days in playing at 
cards, in cracking jokes, and in reading romances. 
He is said to have acknowledged, that with all 
his bitter invectives against the Bible, he had nev- 
er read the New Testament with attention." 

My mind was so sickened from the meditation 
on those few characters, that I begged to hasten 
from the place. I saw a group of other tombs, 
some with inscriptions, and others without, whose 
memorials were perish m ! but I could 

be&r no more. We a £C uded the same steps by 
which we had conic down, and on leaving the 
dreadful place, my heart exclaimed, Oh ! my soul, 
come not thou into their secret ; unto their assembly 
mine honour be not thou united! 

What impressions the rest of the company felt 
I know not ; but, for my part, never shall I forget 
the awfulness of the scene. Is this the sure ter- 
mination (I said to myself) of infidelity ? Oh ! 
for that warning voice, and that more powerful 
grace to make the voice effectual, which the man 



146 ZION'S PILGRIM. 

of God uttered in the holy mountain, to be sound- 
ed in every infidel's ears : Be ye not mockers, lest 
your bands be made strong ! 

My mind acquired great strength and greater 
knovvledge in divine things during my abode in 
the house of the Interpreter. I was with him 
somewhat more than three months, and the time 
seemed to me but a few days ; like the seven 
years of the patriarchs labour in the service of 
the Syrian, for the reward in expectation which 
sweetened the whole. At length it became nec- 
essary to depart ; and the morning arrived in 
which I was to bid him farewell. 

There were several other of Zion's Pilgrims in 
the house besides myself, who were also on the 
eve of departure ; and therefore the good man of 
the house called us together into the hall, in order 
to receive his parting blessing. 



MOTTOS. 

" It is my uniform custom, (said the Interpreter) 
when Christian friends are about to leave my house, 
to give them, by way of token, a written motto, 
consisting of some particular passage of God's 
word, which, by wearing it in their bosoms, may 
serve at once, through divine grace, to bring to 
their remembrance the instructions which they 
have received from me ; and also furnish them 
with somewhat of consolation suited to the pecu- 
liar frame and constitution of their own minds." 
In saying this, he presented to a poor man who 
stood near me, and whose app earance indicated 



ZION'S PILGRIM. U7 

that the glass of his life was nearly run out to the 
last sand, a piece of paper, on which was written, 
Jeremiah xlix. 11, Leave thy fatherless children, 
I will preserve them alive ; and let thy widows trust 
in me. And within this paper there was another 
folded piece, bearing this inscription, Isaiah liv. 5, 
For thy Maker is thine husband, the Lord of Hosts 
is his name ; and thy Redeemer, the Holy One of 
Israel: the God of the whole earth shall he be call- 
ed. And within this also a third, with this motto, 
Psalm xxvii. 10, When my father and my mother 
forsake me, then the Lord will take me up. As the 
Interpreter presented this paper to the poor man, 
he said, " You have heard all that I have said to 
you, my brother, on the subject of your own ev- 
erlasting welfare : and I am much pleased to sec, 
from the evidences which appear in your expe- 
rience of the renewed life, that a work of grace is 
wrought in your heart, and that your hopes are 
well founded. But as I know that the several 
claims of nature in your family have a strong hold 
upon your feelings, I beg you frequently to have 
recourse to these sweet covenant promises. The 
frst is for yourself. The second for the beloved 
partner of your heart. And the third for your 
children." 

To another, who stood also near me, and whose 
anxiety had been greatly exercised respecting 
the deceitfulness of his heart, and who feared 
lest, after all, his religion should be found to be 
nothing more than a cloak of hypocrisy, the In- 
terpreter presented a paper w ith this motto ; Search 
me, God, and know my heart ; try me, and know 
my thoughts : And see if there be any wicked way 
m vie, and lead me in the way iverlasting. Psalm 



148 ZION'3 PILGRIM. 

cxxxix. 23, 24. And, as he presented it, he said, 
"Take this, my friend, and make it the subject of 
your daily inquiry before God. See whether you 
can pray with the same earnest desire as David 
did : or appeal to the great Searcher of hearts, as 
Paul did, God is my witness, whom I serve with 
my spirit in the gospel of his Son, Rom. i. 9, If 
the approbation of God, and not the applause of 
man, be the desire of the heart ; if the mind hates 
sin as sin, and not for its consequences ; if you 
can bless a taking God, as well as a giving God ; 
if you feel your soul humbled with a sense of un- 
worthiness, while God is showering down upon 
you the abundance of his grace ; if Jesus be loved 
for his own sake, more than for his gifts ; these are 
all so many marks and touchstones of character, 
w T hich never can belong to hypocrisy, and there- 
fore may be considered by you as evidences of a 
well founded hope." 

" Young man, (said the Interpreter, to a very 
hopeful and promising youth that was in the circle) 
the best motto I can present you with is the de- 
claration which the Lord commanded the prophet 
to make in the ears of Jerusalem ; This saith the 
Lord, I remember thee, the fu?idness.of thy ymith, 
the love of thine espousals ', when thou wentest after 
me in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown. 
Jeremiah ii. 2. Keep this precious text of scrip- 
ture in your bosom, as an infallible antidote against 
all the poisonous influence with which you may be 
surrounded ia the long pilgrimage through which 
you have yet to pass. The man that hath many 
days to count, hath many wintry dispensations to 
be exercised with. Nothing can serve more ef- 
fectually, through divine grace, to bear up the- 



ZION'S PILGRIM. 149 

mind under all its pressures, than the recollections 
of early notices of God and from God ; and so 
sweet a promise of being remembered through 
all." 

" And as for you, my brother, (the good man 
said, addressing himself to me) there is no passage 
of scripture more suited to your case and circum- 
stances, than that which is contained in the prayer 
of the Lord Jesus, in the conclusion of his minis- 
try upon earth, (John xvii. 11.) Holy Father, 
<keep through thine own name those whom thou hast 
ghen me. Originally ghen y as all the faithful are* 
by the Father to the Lord Jesus, before the Re- 
deemer manifests the Father's name unto them ; 
evidently the property of the Father at the time of 
the donation, for thine they were, and thou gayest 
them to me; fully proved to be redeemed by Jesus, 
by having the Father's name manifested unto them, 
and having kept his word; strongly and powerful- 
ly recommended to the Father's keeping, by one 
whom the Father heareth always, and whose joint 
interest in the believer is one and the same with 
the Father's, for all mine are thine, and thine are 
mine ; how is it possible that such can ever perish, 
or that any should pluck them out of his almighty hand'? 
Keep this sweet scripture therefore I charge you, 
always in your bosom, and carry it about with you 
whithersoever you go ; that its influence may be 
perpetual, and that the will of the Redeemer, cor- 
responding with the gift and grace of tl c Father^ 
may never escape your recollection ; Father, I 
will that they also whom thou hast ghen me be 
with me where 1 am, that they may behold the 
glory which thou hast ghen me." John xvii. 24. 



ISO '".ZION'S PILGRIM. 

The Interpreter conducted me to the door, aixt, 
as I stepped over the threshold, I turned about 
once more to express my thankful acknowledg- 
ment of the affectionate manner in which I had 
been entertained— 



■Since we part, 



Adieu, kind friend, Interpreter From God, 
Sent from whose sovereign goodness I adore. 
Gentle to me, and affable, hath been 
Thy condescension, and shall be ever honour'd 
With grateful mem'ry. 

But it was an event which .the coincidence of 
circumstances in a pilgrim's life, like mine, could 
only produce, that soon after I left the house of 
the Interpreter, I met the poor man, of whom such 
honourable testimony is made by me in the for- 
mer part of these memoirs, accompanied with my 
moral neighbour, at whose instance I attended the 
elegant preacher's sermon, who is also mentioned 
in the first days of my inquiry for the way to Ziom 
Struck with astonishment at what I saw, that such 
an one should come on pilgrimage, I was going to 
express my surprise, when he anticipated all my 
inquiries, by accounting for the change. " To 
this dear friend (he cried, taking the poor man by 
the hand) I am indebted, under God, for the 
gracious conversion of my mind from the error 
of its ways. I felt no small confusion from the 
strength of your observations respecting the inef- 
fectual tendency of morality to justify before God ; 
and particularly from the manner in which you 
stated it in your conversation, as instanced in the 
conduct of brethren towards one another, while de- 
ficient in love and obedience towards their Father, 



ZION'3 PILGRIM. 1SI 

But the remarks of this poor man at the church 
porch, after the sermon we had heard, were such 
as threw to the ground, through God's grace, all 
the building of self confidence which I had been 
rearing up from the supposed rectitude of my life. 
And since that time, I have been so ifeoroughljr 
convinced, from the frequent instructions of this 
dear friend, whom I have made my constant com- 
panion, of the utter impossibility of man's being 
justified by any thing of his own before God, that 
all my astonishment now is, not that l have forever 
relinquished the vain pretension, but that I ever 
should have imbibed it. I am no t fully sat- 

isfied, I bless God, that so far is the highest moral 
virtue from affording any ground of justification 
before God, that unless divine grace keep tb 
soul humble under all its attainments, it is apt to 
produce pride in our hearts, and thereby to sub- 
ject us to the greater condemnation. It may very 
safely be granted, that all moral excellencies will 
be the necessary result of true religion, as good 
fruit will be the natural production of a good tree ; 
and that, after the greatest pretensions, we have no 
authority to call that man religious who is immor- 
al. But it must at the same time be insisted upon 
as strenuously, that so iar detached is morality 
from religion, in a great variety of instances, that 
nothing is more common in life, than to see per- 
sons who are truly irreproachable in their conduct 
towards man, who are totally remiss and even 
profane as to their demeanor before God. Hence, 
therefore, there are a thousand cases to which the 
best and most extensive laws ef morality cannot 
reach ; but yet they are all cognizable before him 



152 ZION'S PILGRIM. 

who trieth the heart. I discovered these truths? 
by this poor man's instruction, through divine 
grace, and immediately found the fallacy under 
which I had been living. And, blessed be God, 
I have now learnt, that, without repentance towards 
God, and faith in our Lord Jesus Christy the most 
punctual and diligent discharge of the moral obli- 
gations I owe my neighbour, cannot justify me 
before God." 

My heart rejoiced at what I heard, and secretly 
I felt within me the full force of that question^ 
What hath God wrought ? 

I detain not the reader with' the relation of what 
followed tiiis unexpected meeting ; neither do I 
think it necessary to extend my narrative by an 
account of a great variety of occurrences with 
which my pilgrimage hath since been distinguish- 
ed. I promised him at the commencement of my 
history, that it should be a short one, from the hour 
in which the Lord was pleased to call me by his 
grace, to the period in which I sat down to com* 
Biunicate it ; and having brought the subject thus 
far, I shall therefore now relieve the reader's atten- 
tion altogether^ 

To tell him of my present feelings, amidst a 
mingled state of many precious assurances, tem- 
pered with many trying dispensations, would be to 
relate the uniform history of every pilgrim to Zion. 
These are the spots of God's children, and they all 
prove a family likeness. I am frequently exercis- 
ed with deep and sharp trials, and sometimes feel 
a heart disposed to tell my heavenly Teacher, 
that I think I might be spared many such lessons. 
But the upshot of -the instruction generally brings 



ZION'S PILGRIM. 153 

me to this conclusion : " How happy k is for 
me, that I am placed under a wiser and better di- 
rection than mv own !" 

lam now waiting the Master's call, rather, I 
persuade myself (if I know any thing of my own 
heart) with a pleasing, than an anxious expecta- 
tion. My desire is to die daily to the world, and to 
crucify the flesh with its affections and lusts. I 
wish to sit as detached as possible from every 
thing here below, that, when the carriage to fetch 
me stops at my door, I may rise up instantly, and 
depart to meet the Lord in the air. Under this 
view, my heart is weaning more and more, I hope, 
from all things beneath the sun. Little of this 
world can I speak, for I know but little of its em- 
ployments. 1 a ni seeking a better country, that is, 
an heavenly. And what is it to the man under 
sentence of death in Newgate, what is transacting 
on the Royal Exchange ? 

And as to the full assurance of faith, respecting 
the possession of those immortal objects which 
open before mc, I can and do say, with the hum- 
blest, but at the same time with the best grounded 
confidence, I know in w/iom I have believed ; being 
confident of this very tiling, that he who hath begun 
a good work in me, will perform it until the day of 
Jesus Christ. That crown of righteousness, which 
the apostle declared was not only laid up for him, 
but for all them that love the appearing of the Lord, 
is laid up for me also, I hue examined myself 
by this standard, as well as by every other which 
I know of: Do I love the Lord's appearing? 
Yes ! I love his appearing in the conversion of 
every poor sinner whom God the Holy Ghost 

02 



154 ZION'S PILGRIM. 

makes willing in the day of his power. I love his 
appearing in the gracious, seasonable, and suita- 
ble relief of all his tried family. I love his appear- 
ing in the defence of his oppressed ones from sin 
and Satan, in the ten thousand instances with 
which they are exercised here below^ And, I 
trust, I am of that happy number who are said to 
be looking for ; and hasting unto, the coming of that 
great day of his appearing, when he s/iall come to be 
glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them 
that believe. 

Reader, farewell ! May our experience, when 
Jesus comes, correspond with the declaration of the 
prophet : It shall be said in that day, Lo ! this is 
our God, we have waited for him, and he will save 
us : this is the Lord, we have waited for him; we 
tyill be glad and rejoice in his salvation. Amen* 



END OF 2tON ? S PILGRIM. 



THE 

HARVEST HOME. 



WRITTEN IN ENGLAND, AFTER A THREATENING 

DROUGHT. 

KOW quickly does joy often succeed to sor- 
row ; the clay of cheerful hope to that of gloomy 
fear ; and the season of plenty and abundance to 
that of want and scarcity ! Not long since the 
dearth of bread in this land was such, that every 
countenance seemed to gather blackness : the very 
heavens also appeared to frown upon us ; for the 
weather, during a long time, was so dismal that 
it threatened to blast the approaching Harvest ; we 
were made to feel that we were in the hands of 
God, and totally dependent on his mercy ; having 
enjoyed many years of plenty without interrup- 
tion, we had learnt to count upon the continuance 
of the same blessing ; and because God's good- 
ness had been so common, we were so much the 

s thankful for it. How calamitous would a 
general blight upon our corn have proved at this 
season ? every mind must shudder at such k 
thought; such a. blight was threatened indeed, 
but suddenly, and at the very point of time, when 
it was most needed, the weather changed, and a 
on unusually favourable for "'ettin^ in the fruits 
of the earth has succeeded. 

Man, it may be remarked, is more ready to 
pray to God to help him out of his distresses, than 
to thank him when he has been delivered ; for we 



156 THE HARDEST HOME. 

are often merely selfish m such prayers ; we feel 
a pressing want of the blessing, and we therefore 
cry to God for it ; but when it is obtained, our 
whole end is answered, we now are satisfied, we 
grow careless about the matter, and forget to think 
of our Benefactor. 

But let us here endeavour to prevent this forget- 
fulness of our present mercies from taking place 
in the minds of our readers, and let us invite them 
to come and contemplate with us that greatness 
and goodness of our Creator, which are so observe 
able at the time of Harvest- 
There is indeed no part of the creation to which 
w r e can turn our eyes without meeting with some- 
proofs of the divine power and mercy* Shall we 
lift up our eyes to the heavens? There shines the 
brightness of the sun, which God has placed in 
the firmament to give light and heat to the world. 
Shall we wait till the sun is set ? Then the moon 
and the stars take up the same language of praise, 
and tell of their Maker's power and goodness. 

Shall we turn our eyes to the earth ? See how 
the surface of it is spread forth like a carpet, deck- 
ed with every thing to charm the eye, to delight 
the sense, and to supply the wants of man. Shall 
we look upon the great and wide ocean? There 
go the ships; and behold even the sea is filled 
with food for the use of man. Hoxv manifold are 
thy works ) Lord, inwisdom hast thou made them 

ml 

The sight of these common objects of nature, 
used oftei^i to carry out the holy men of old m 
praise and adoration to God, of which we will 
mention an instance in the 65th Psalm, becraise it 
is applicable to the present time : a psalm penned 



TXE HARVEST HOMS. 15? 

after a long drought, to which had succeeded 
some very plentiful and refreshing rains. The 
psalmist^ while he walks abroad, and delights 
iiimself with the beautiful appearance of the 
harvest, and with the prospect of plenty which is 
on every side, breaks out in the following thanks - 
giving to the bountiful Giver of all things : Praise 
waiteth for thee y God ! in Sim, and nnto thee 
shall the vow be performed. thou that didst hear 
our prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come. Thou 
makest the out -goings of the morning and evening to 
rejoice. Thou visitest tlic earth and w ate rest it. 
Thou greatly enrichest it with the river of Cod, (for 
the clouds are compared to a river in the air, sus- 
tained by the hand of the Almighty.) Thou pre- 
parcst corn when thou hast so provided for it : Thou 
iv a teres t the ridges thereof abundantly : Thou set- 
tlcst the furrows thereof: Thou makest it soft with 
showers : Thou blcssest the springing thereof Thou 
crownest the yectr with thy goodness, and thy paths 
drop fatness ; the little hills rejoice on every side. 
The pastures are clothed with flocks ; the rallies 
also are covered over with com ; they shout for joy; 
they also sing. 

To every one who is of the same mind with the 
psalmist, the bamc kind of meditations will be very 
apt to occur. Let us, however, here assist the 
reader, by naming a few subjects which he will 
do veil to reflect upon while he takes his walk 
amidst the reapers, and admires the plenty that is 
in the fields, 

First, then, how naturally ought the season of 
harvest to *cn(] our thoughts to the great Author of 
it ! How clearly is his hand at this time seen ! All 
the power and ingenuity of the whole world cannot 



158 THE HARVEST HOM, 

frame so much as a single ear of corn. The part 
which man has in procuring the corn is very small 
indeed. He in fact does nothing himself towards 
its growth ; he only places the seed in a situation 
which from experience he has found to be favoura- 
ble to it, and then " He gaeth envoys and it spring- 
eth up he knowetk not how." The seed which he 
plants was in the first place -given by God; when 
the sower lias put it into the ground, there is then 
a work, or operation,., carried on, in which man is 
not only unconcerned, but he does not even know 
how it is accomplished. The grain dies, and from 
that death a resurrection takes place, a fresh plant 
arises out of the ground, and this plant is nourish- 
ed by means of roots hidden within the earth, 
which then shoot forth without the aid of man : 
in this secret manner are the different juices col- 
lected and sent through the plant : by and by the 
flower blooms ; the ear forms itself; and the corn 
takes the proper shape and substance ; the rain in 
the mean time waters it ; the dews descend, and 
the sun shines upon it, till at length it is fit for the 
use of man. In all this, man can do nothing. It 
is during his absence even that this work is going 
on. If the grain is blighted, man cannot help it; 
if it grows too slowly, he is not able to quicken it ; 
he can only look on- with hope and fear, and watch 
k in its different stages : he must ascribe all its 
growth to the unassisted power of the great Crea- 
tor of all things. 

Plain as the hand of the Creator is in the pro- 
duction of the corn, yet such is our natural stupidi- 
ty, that while we gather the corn, we often think 
no more of God in it, than the-very cattle which 
draw it home-. The farmer speaks of his owa 



THE HARVEST HOME. 15f 

skill, and labour, and pains ; and when the grain is 
ripe, he lays it up in bis barn, with much self-ap- 
plause, and begins to count his gains, not consider- 
ing that all the praise, in fact, is due to God, and 
that every ear which is laid up is a proof of man's 

obligation to his Maker. 

p 

But let us here notice also the largeness of the 
divine bounty. The works of God are upon a 
large scale ; they are like himself, infinite. The 
works of man are little and insignificant ; it is but 
a small spot which his strength can water, but the 
showers of heaven water a whole territory at once. 
It is but a few acres which the diligent labours of 
man can make productive; but God causes his 
sun to shine, and his dew to descend, and the 
whole earth is rendered fruitful. Look over that 
beautiful and extensive prospect : See as far as 
the eye can reach how the fields arc crowned with 
plenty; extend the scene in your imagination, 
s*ill the same rich view of the divine bounty 
presents itself. Cross the wide ocean, and survey 
the different countries of which the earth consists. 
In all the varied productions of these different cli- 
mates, we only meet with more and more signs 
of the divine goodness. How are we then called 
upon to admire and adore that glorious Being, who 
suffers no part of the earth to escape his kind and 
benignant notice! 

With the extensiveness of this bounty let the 
continuance of it be considered. No sooner is 
the harvest got in, than again the r^ccd is commit- 
ted to the ground, and again the same scene re- 
turns upon us. Let us carry back our thoughts 
to the years that have been of old. Hew ujiweai led 
has been our great Benefactor ! How unceasing 



160 THE HARVEST HOME. 

the exertions of his goodness ! How many gen- 
erations have been fed and supported by it X 
Seasons have changed, but they have only pre- 
sented different views of the Lord's mercy ; and 
the cold of winter, the bloom of spring, the heat of 
summer, and the fruits of autumn, have each in 
their seasons manifested the same bounty and care 
of our Creator. 

Having indulged in these pleasing reflections 
upon the divine bounty, it seems proper in the 
next place to turn our attention to a more melan- 
choly subject ; I mean our unvoorthiness of it. For 
whom does the Lord open his stores, and provide 
with so liberal a hand ? For a race of creatures who 
are touched with the most lively sense of his good- 
ness, and love and honour him in proportion to 
these great obligations ? 

Do we then hear the reapers, while they cut 
down the corn, speaking good of the name of the 
Lord, and blessing him for his kindness to the 
children of men ? — Hark ! is it the hymns of praise 
which they are chanting in yonder field ? Is the 
song they sing that song of the psalmist which has 
just been spoken of? Methinks instead of it, some 
song full of profaneness and obscenity is sung 
aloud. The name of God, indeed, is on many 
lips, but it is onl) r that it may be trifled with or 
blasphemed. What then, are these men gathering 
God's bounty, and in the same moment profaning 
his name ? But follow them to the harvest home : 
Surely now, at least, they meet and offer up their 
prayer and thanksgiving, and while God is in the 
act of crowning the year with his bounty, each 
tongue is loud in talking of his mercy, and each 
grateful heart is swelling with his praise. It k 



THE HARVEST HOME. 161 

commonly reported, that there is no season of the 
year in w hich so much wickedness and drunken- 
ness prevail among the farmers, as in that of bring- 
ing the harvest home. Are these then the returns 
which in this year also we are making to the di- 
vine goodness? Is all our complaining of want, 
and our prayer to God for deliverance, to end in a 
drunken abuse of the mercies he so wonderfully 
bestows ? 

But not to dwell on vices which are so great, 
that we would willingly hope they must only be 
the vices of a few, let us a little consider also the 
general unworthiness of mankind. Who are they 
that will be fed by this abundant harvest? Will 
no idle persons be maintained by it? Will no sin- 
ners have their strength sustained, so as to con- 
tinue their life of sin? Will there be none Mho 
will eat with unthankfulness? None who, as the 
reapers have reaped it without thinking of the 
Author of the harvest, will, in like manner, feed 
upon it without thinking of the Author of their 
food! Again, will no discontented, murmur- 
ing, repining people be fed by this goodness 
of the Lord ? Will all those, in short, whose 
life is prolonged by the bread now sent them, de- 
vote that life to the service of him who prolonged 
it ? Surely if we could remove ourselves to a dis- 
tance from the earth, and become by any means 
impartial judges between God and man, we 
should stand astonished at the present rebellion of 
the creature. He who made man, he who sup- 
ports him, sending him the very bread which he 
eats, has a right to his services ; and hath made 
him no doubt for his own glory. Methinks if any 

P 



162 « THE HARVEST HOME. 

of us were endowed with power to create some lit- 
tle rational animal, inferior to ourselves, and if, 
after having breathed into him the breath of life, 
we also daily clothed and nourished him, we 
should expect his obedience, and constant service 
in return ; and if, after all, such a being should 
presume to set up for himself, and pretend to have 
a will of his own, and break all the laws we had 
given him, we should be ready methinks, to stamp 
our foot upon him, and to crush him to death at 
once, for not fulfilling the ends of his creation. 
We should have no patience with such a little in- 
solent and rebellious animal. And yet God has 
patience with us, notwithstanding all our forgetful- 
ness of the ends for which we were born, and our 
unthankfulness for the daily returns of his bounty. 
Nay, though we go on abusing his mercies, he 
goes on clodiing the pastures with his flocks. 
The vallies also are again covered over with corn : 
again they shout for joy ; they also sing. O let us 
be ashamed of the baseness of our ingratitude, and 
repent in the name of Christ, before the day of 
his vengeance is come upon us ! 

The season of harvest is also one which should 
lead us particularly to reflect on our dependence up- 
on God. God gave us life at first. He causes our 
blood to flow, our heart to beat, and our stomach 
to distribute the nourishment. He too supplies 
the food we eat, of whatever kind it be. We may 
x combine together different meats ; We may dress 
them in a variety of ways, but we can create noth- 
ing ; God is the only giver of life and food, and all 
things : And happy is that man who lives in the 
lively remembrance of this, w r ho accepts all his 
.comforts as from the hand of the great God, ha- 



THE HARVEST HOME. 163 

bitually feeling that he his not of himself power 
to subsist for a single moment, or to procure, in- 
dependent of God, one single drop of water, or 
grain of bread. And this sense of our depend- 
ence is not a duty only, it is a great comfort also : 
for how does it tend to relieve all that anxiety, 
which is so natural to us, about our subsistence in 
the time to come ! The more we remember that 
Ave are the creatures of God, so much the more 
shall we trust to him to provide for his large fam- 
ily, even as a child trusts to the care and prudence 
of his parent. Behold the fowls of the air, they 
soiv not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns, 
yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. 
\ Next to this sense of our dependence, gratitude 
to God may be mentioned as peculiarly becoming. 
Methinks at this time not only the heavens above, 
but the earth beneath, calls aloud upon us to be 
thankful. Every field, every ear of corn, seems 
to bid us speak the praises of God. How do 
these glorify him, as it were, by an expressive 
though dumb offering of praise ! But man has 
a tongue with which he can speak forth the praises 
of his Maker. It is for the sake of man also that 
the storehouse of divine bounty is opened ; it is 
for man that the pastures are clothed with flocks, 
and the vallies covered with corn ; it is for man 
that the sun shines, and the showers descend. 
From him then should the offering of praise con- 
tinually rise up. 

44 But why will you suppose mankind to be so 
unthankful ?" Methinks I hear some one reply, 
11 Do you think we do not know as well as vou, 
that we ought to praise God for a good harvest ? 
There will always indeed be a few wicked people 



1C4 THE HARVEST HOME. 

in the land, but in general we understand well 
enough that it is God who sends us bread, and 
all our mercies : nay, when any of us speak of 
having got a good crop, thank God is the very 
phrase that is quite common in our lips. I admit 
it is so, and I hope indeed that many thousand 
hearts have already offered up the sincere tribute 
of thanksgiving for the present plentiful season. 
But we cannot help adding here, that there is a 
way far beyond that of simple praise, by which 
true gratitude will manifest itself. It will break 
out, not in words only, but in deeds — in deeds I 
mean of obedience to him towards whom the 
gratitude is felt. What would any father think 
of the gratitude, of a child, or any husband of the 
gratitude of a wife, which never shewed itself in 
any thing else but a few warm expressions of ob- 
ligation. "No, it is by the readiness and activity 
in serving the person praised, and by the desire 
in all respects to please him, that the disposition 
to gratitude must be judged of. A man may say, 
" Thank God" twenty times a day, and yet never 
truly thank him in his heart. Words are cheap. 
Many men think to pay God off, as it were, by 
this sort of coin. Let it be remarked also, 
that there is a satisfaction and self-complacency 
which are naturally felt on receiving abundance of 
wealth into our lap : we are put into good hu- 
mour by it, and when we are reminded that God 
is the Author of Gur prosperity, the truth of this 
is so plain that we cannot deny it, and since our 
understandings agree to the observation, we fancy 
that our hearts agree also ; whereas, in fact, we 
only judge that God ought to be thanked, but we 
do not thank him ; and as to the good humour we 



THE HARVEST HOME. 165 

are in, it arises merely from our being well pleas- 
ed with ourselves, or with the enjoyments which 
God has given us, and not from our being well 
pleased with God. That we practise some such 
frauds as these on ourselves is but too plain ; for 
mark now what follows. When the same person, 
who has been thanking God so often for his mer- 
cies, is by-and-by called to do something, to suf- 
fer something, or to give up something for the 
sake of serving this gracious Being to whom he 
professed such prodigious gratitude, he is then 
either too idle, or too selfish, or too much govern- 
ed by the opinion of his fellow creatures, or some 
way or other too full of excuses to do what is 
wanted of him : on the other hand, when some 
temptation comes in his way, he yields to it, and 
sins against the same God as freely as if he were 
under no obligation to him. Let us then beware 
of this hypocritical sort of gratitude, by which we 
cannot deceive God, though we often delude our- 
selves by it. Let us shew forth his praise, not 
only with our lips, but with our lives. Let us 
shew our sense of his goodness by doing his will, 
by reading his word, by attending his worship, by 
readily denying ourselves for his sake, and in 
short, by laying out our lives in his sen ice, and 
by standing forth to promote his cause in a diso- 
bedient and unthankful world. 

Here let it be hinted also, that this may be a 
good time for laying down our plans for using the 
plenty which is flowing in to us. God has now 
given us provision for another year ; but for what 
purpose has he given it? In order that we may 
eat, and drink, and be merry ? What then, have we 

P2 



166 THE HARVEST HOMI. 

not immortal souls ? The ereat end of our Crea- 
tor is, that we may serve him in this world, and 
may be prepared to dwell with him forever in 
heaven. His direction is, that we should employ 
our health and strength, and all our vigour of body 
and mind, in fulfilling his will ; that we should 
seek, in the first place, to know God, and Jesus 
Christ, whom he has sent into the world, and hav- 
ing learnt to know him, that we should then act 
in our several stations from the motive of love to 
his name, imitating also his bounty, by minister- 
ing to the necessities of our fellow creatures. 
Are these then our ends of living ? Is this what 
we propose to ourselves ? Are these the views 
with which we reap t^ie harvest ? Are we deter- 
mined that none of it, as far as in us lies, shall be 
wasted in riot, or in luxury, or in improvement 
consumption ? Do we look forward to it as to a 
treasure, with which the hungry shall be fed, and 
the poor be satisfied ? Then indeed we may re- 
joice in the bounty of Heaven, and we may rea- 
sonably trust that ail the expressions of gratitude 
in cur lips are sincere. 

Again, let the consideration of the goodness of 
God, displayed in the fruits of the earth, raise our 
minds to the contemplation of those still greater 
mercies which he is able and willing to give us. 
It is with him a small matter to provide the earth 
with food, or to take care of the body. See what 
a rich provision he has made, for our souls ; for 
them he has not spared his only begotten Son, 
but given him up to .be the propitiation for our 
sins ! For the sake of the soul he has sent his 
Holy Spirit into the world, to guide men into the 
knowledge of truth. For the soul he has prepar- 



THE HARVEST HOME. 167 

ed an eternal harvest of blessings, an inheritance 
which is incorruptible, undefded, and that fadeth 
not away, reserved in heaven for us. We may 
learn to value spiritual mercies from what we see 
of temporal ones. Temporal ones strike the 
senses, and being suited to our present fallen na- 
ture, are more apt to fill our heaqfs with joy and 
gratitude. But we may rest assured that the bles- 
sings, which God has provided for the soul, are 
much superior to those provided for the body, as 
the soul is to the body, and as eternity is to time. 
Let us then turn from this earthly scene of abun* 
dance to still nobler and larger blessings. Let 
the fields not only preach to us the immense 
goodness of our Creator, but let them send our 
thoughts also to the unsearchable riches that are 
in Christ. Let the harvest serve to impress a 
thoughtless world with wonder, gratitude, rev- 
erence, and love to Him who is the Author, not 
of all our earthly treasures only, but of all the 
blessings of eternity ! In short, let the goodness 
of God lead us all to repentance, and let each of 
us take care that the mercies of his Maker Iv not 
turned into a curse, by rendering our hearts only 
so much the more full of this world, and more 
indiilerent to the blessings of the gospel. 



SIX TEEN SHORT SERMO NS. 

BY A 

CLERGYMAN OF THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND. 



1. What is a man profited, if he shall gain the 
whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what 
shall a man give in exchange for his soul ? 
Matt. xvi. 26. 

HOW little attention does this infinitely im- 
portant subject gain in the world ! How few con- 
sider the salvation of their souls as the great busi- 
ness of life ! You, who are reading these lines, 
did you ever lay it to heart, and are you acting 
accordingly ? If this is your case, the following 
language will express your heart-felt convictions : 
" I have a soul as well as a body. My soul must 
live forever, in happiness or in misery. It is ca- 
pable of inconceivably greater pain and pleasure 
than my body is. It is a matter of comparative- 
ly little importance, whether I am in abject pov- 
erty or in the greatest affluence, during the few 
years I am to continue in the present world ! 
whether I am respected, or despised by my fellow- 
mortals ; whether my body is sickly or healthy, 
full of pain or at ease. These are matters of small 
consequence ; death is certain, and it is near. 
" Ashes to ashes, and dust to dust," must soon be 
pronounced over my lifeless body. In a dying 
moment, if I could call the whole world my own, 
what good would it do me ? what comfort could 
it afford me ? But whether my soul is to be eter- 



SHORT SERMONS. 169 

Bally happy or miserable, the companion of angels 
and saints made perfect around the throne of God, 
or doomed to weeping, and wailing, and gnashing 
of teeth, with devils and damned spirits in hell, 
where the worm never dieth, and where the fire 
never will be quenched — this Is the most mo- 
mentous inquiry I ought to make. To escape 
from the wrath to come, and secure an inheritance 
among the saints in light, ought to be my great 
concern. Is it so ? Which world is most in mv 
thoughts, this or the next? Which am I most 
anxious about ? Am I not often inquiring, 
" What shall I eat, what shall I drink, and where- 
withal shall I be clothed ?" But when did I se- 
riously inquire, " What must I do to be saved ?" 
If I have no prevailing concern about my soul, I 
may be certain its state is bad, and its danger ex- 
treme. 



II. Sin is the transgression of the law, 1 John 

iii. 4. 

SINNER, did you ever inquire what sin is? 
Did you ever study the word of God, that you 
might have proper views of this gr< of all 

evils? If you have never made the inquiry, your 
state is bad, dreadfully bad. Your salvation is 
at stake. Look seriously into the text. Lift up 
your heart to God, and say, " Lord, give me 
proper views of sin." " Sin is the transgression 
of the law." What law? The law of the most 
holv God. Where is this law to be found ? It is 
contained in the ten commandments. Did I ever 
read them with a trembling heart and a faltering 
voice, asking, have I transgressed this or that part 
of God's holy law? Did I ever consider that the 



170 SHORT SERMONS. 

law may be broken by thought, as well as by word 
or deed ? Did I ever reflect that the law is spir- 
itual, reaching to the thoughts, purposes, and in- 
tentions of the heart; that every irregular thought 
is a transgression of the law ; that every unholy 
desire is :sin ; that for c ' every idle word that men 
speak, they must give account in the day of judg- 
ment, 55 Matt* xii. 36. that awful day, when the 
heart- searching God shall judge the secrets of our 
hearts ? Alas ! how many idle thoughts have pass- 
ed through my mind, without the proper convic- 
tion, attending each of them, that this is sin ! See 
Gen. vi. 5. How many idle words have I every 
day spoken without reflecting, that for every one 
of these I must give account ! Matt. xii. 36. 
When did the evil of my thoughts and words 
extort an anxious cry from my heart, "God be 
merciful to me a sinner V J If sin be the trans- 
gression of the law, that is, if falling short of the 
perfection, which the law requires in thought, 
word, and deed, be sin, as well as doing that 
which the law forbids ; how much have I to an- 
swer for, that perhaps I never before thought of! 
Yet I have often confessed, " We have done 
what we ought not to have done, and left undone 
what we ought to have done, and there is no 
health in us." Alas ! I have mocked God, bv 
confessing with my lips what I did not feel in 
my heart. Let my conscience, O Lord, now be 
awakened to feel what sin is ! 



III. All have sinned and come short of the glory 
of God. Rom. iii. 23. 
ALL — and therefore you, my dear reader, and 
myself. We have sinned ; that is, we have bro- 



SHORT SERMONS* 171 

ken God's law, for " there is none righteous, no 
not one," Rom. hi. 10. There is none that hath 
kept the law of God. We have transgressed ev- 
ery precept of his moral law, either in act, word, 
or evil desire. The charge is heavy, but the 
verdict is true. Let us consider the case, ear- 
nestly entreating God to enlighten our minds. 
Take the ten commandments into your hand, and 
read. We have broken th&Jirst commandment 
by trusting in, and loving other things more than 
God. " Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with 
all thy heart." Matt. xxii. 37. In this we have 
come short. The second respects the manner in 
which God is to be worshipped, not with outward 
form and ceremony only, but in spirit and in 
truth. Alas ! how deficient have we becji in that 
serious attention, that inward reverence, and that 
devout affection which his worship required ! 
God is a jealous God. You say von have never 
been guilty of profane cursing and swearing, and 
so think you have kept the third : but have you 
never, in saying your prayers, or in reading the 
scripture, suffered the holy name of God to pass 
through your lips, without an awful sense of what 
you v e v doing, or even without thought? " God 
will not hold him guiltless who taketh his name 
in rain." Have you always employed the whole 
Sabbath in those religious exercises v. Inch the 
fourth com*] »ient enjoins; and performed 

the in such a devout manner, that the 

law lias nothing to cl you with, in thought, 

word, or deed ? Sinner, lay your hand upon your 
mouth, and plead guilty. Need I go through the 

thou " love thy neighbour 
as t it thou done unto all men as thou 



172 SHORT SERMONS. 

wouldest they should do unto thee ? Have you 
never been guilty of disobedience to your parents ? 
Know you not, that every rising of causeless an- 
ger is jnurder — Matt. v. 22. that every unchaste 
desire is adultery — Matt. v. 28. that secret fraud 
and neglect of affording that succour to the poor 
which is in your power, are theft ; that every 
uncharitable thought is a breach of the ninth, and 
every covetous wish a transgression of the tenth 
commandment? Surely all have sinned in doing 
that which the law forbids, and in not doing that 
which the law commands. What have I then 
done, or what have I not done? " All have sin- 
ned." What is mv state ? A state of sinfulness 
and misery. Why have I not felt it till now ? 
Because sin hath blinded mine eyes against the 
li2;ht of truth. 



IV. Cursed is every one that continueth not in all 
things that are written in th e book of the law to 
do them. Gal. iii. 10. 

WHAT means that awful word "cursed?" 
The curse of God is the declaration of his just 
anger and wrath against sin and the sinner. " Who 
can stand in his sight if he be angry ?" Ps. lxxvi. 
7. But who is cursed ? Every one, whether 
young or old, rich or poor, learned or ignorant, 
that continueth not, throughout the whole period 
of life, without any intermission, failure or defect 
whatever, in all things, in thought, word, and 
deed, doing perfectly what the law requires, and 
keeping himself absolutely free from what the law 
condemns— 46 In all things that are written in the 
book of the law to do them, (the law being under- 



SHORT SERMONS. 173 

stood in its spiritual and most exalted sense and 
interpretation : ) and remember that it is farther 
said, James ii. 10, " that whosoever shall keep 
the whole lqw, and yet offend in one point, he is 
guilty of all." Now consider, has there been a 
day, an hour, a moment, in which your state has 
been such as the law requires ? The curse is pro- 
nounced on every transgressor for every transgres- 
sion : not only for profaneness, murder, adultery, 
and such like gross acts of sin, but for every sin- 
ful thought, and for every moment in which you 
have failed to "love the Lord your God with all 
your heart, and with all your soul. " O how many 
curses then has the law denounced against you 
and me ! It has been revealing the wrath of God 
against us year after year ; for, year after year, we 
have been sinning against God. Are these things 
so ? Can you from scripture prove them to be 
false ? What ! is every sinner cursed for every 
sin, and have I been perpetually sinning all my life ? 
Is it true, that I have never, from a sincere regard 
to God, made conscience of one thought, word or 
action; never performed one duty, or abstained 
from one sin, on a right motive, love to God? 
Has my whole life been one uninterrupted course 
of evil? Is my state, then, a state of condemna- 
tion ? How astonishing it is ! What a proof of the 
darkness of my mind, and hardness of my heart, 
that I can live one hour at ease under the curse 
of God ! that I can lie down or rise up without 
trembling, since the curse of God must plunge the 
sinner into lidl ! 

Q 



174 SKOUT SERMONS. 

V. The Wages of Sin is Death. Rom. vi. 23. 

" SIN is the transgression of the law," 1 John 
iii. 4. that eternal rule of right to rational beings, 
the moral law of God. It is sin, all sin, every sin, 
that is here spoken of. Death, whatever that word 
means, is the just and certain reward of every sin 
committed in thought, word, or deed. But what 
is death ? The death of the body is its separation 
from the soul. You are a sinner ; and this effect 
of sin you have begun to feel in all those pains and 
sicknesses, which are bringing your body to the 
grave. You are now a dying. man. The death 
of the body, or its separation from the soul, will 
occasion its return to the dust, from whence it was 
taken. But death, in the text, means something 
more : the death of the soaL What is that ? It is 
something as much more dreadful than that of the 
bodv, as the soul is of more value than the bodv. 
It is the separation of the soul from God, as its life 
and happiness : hence it becomes a state of un- 
avoidable sin, and, first or last, a state of self- 
tormenting anguish, arising from the forfeiture of 
the friendship of God, with all its attendant bles- 
sings. For God is that to the soul, which the 
soul is to the body. Spiritual death, or the death 
of the soul, consists not in the loss of conscious- 
ness or feeling, but in the loss of the image and 
favour of God. " For in his favour is life ; " Psalm 
xxx. 5, and in his frown is death. If you, my 
dear fellow-sinner, are not made alive by God's 
converting grace, this is your state. You^ "are 
dead in trespasses and sins:" and unless you are 
quickened by God's Spirit communicated to you, 
before your departure hence, in this unhappy state 
you must forever continue: for the death spoken 



SHORT SERMONS. 175 

of in the text is opposed to eternal life in the fol- 
lowing clause. And oh, if the effect of this spir- 
itual death is misery, even in this present life, (as 
the experience of every man testifies, if he will 
own the truth) then what mast it be in the world 
to come? All! who can tell? We read of "a 
worm that never dies," to prey on the tormenfed 
conscience; of " fire that ivdvtr can be quench- 
ed, to destroy both body and soul in hel^;" of 
" weeping, and wailing', and gnashing of teeth ;" 
and all this is to last forever. But is there not a 
disproportion between the offence and the punish- 
ment? Let God be true, and every man a ! 
He says, ' 4 the wages," the just reward, " of sin is 
death." God's truth binds him to fulfil his thi 
ings, as well as his promises. O fly from the 
wrath to come, for " who among us can dwell with 
devouring lire ? Who among us can dwell with 
everlasting burnings ?" 



VI. What must I do to be saved? Acts xvi. 30. 

THIS is the anxious inquiry of an awakened 
sinner. By an awakened sinner I mean the man 
who knows what sin is, and who painfully feels 
that he is a sinner, and as such, under the curse of 
God, and in danger of hell-fire. Are you an 
awakened sinner? Alas! all men are naturally 
asleep, and insensible of their danger ; and so con- 
tinue, till they are roused up out of their carnal 
slumbers by the word and Spirit of God. Tliey 
cry peace, peace, to themselves, when there is.no 
peace : for God hath positively said, Isa. xl\ ittu 
22, " There is no peace to the wicked." TheO 
live on day after day, keeping death, judgment, and 



176 SHORT SERMONS. 

eternity, out of their thoughts; never reading the 
Bible with a sincere desire to know what their state 
is, and never crying to God from the bottom o£ 
their hearts, "God be merciful tome a- sinner." 
If you live without earnest prayer to God for 
mercy, habitually neglecting it, you give as full 
proof that you are " alienated from the life of God 
through the ignorance that is in you," as if you 
were living in the grossest immoralities. But 
when it pleases God to fasten conviction on the 
heart of a man, and toaw 7 aken his conscience, then 
he starts up as one out of sleep. He sees, w r hat 
he never discovered before, that it is an evil and 
bitter thing to sin against God. He reads in the 
word -of truth, "the wicked shall be turned into 
hell, and all the people that forget God ;" Psalm 
ix. 17- and trembles as he reads. He acknowl- 
edges, " I have forgotten God, and sinned against 
him ;" and being convinced that " the w r ages of sin 
is death," he asks, How shall I escape the damna- 
tion of hell? Such a man is deeply in earnest, 
when he makes the inquiry, "What must I do to 
be saved?" He feels that his all for eternity is at 
stake. The world, w r ith all its pleasures, profits, 
and honours, becomes tasteless and insipid ; it 
cannot give ease to his aching heart, nor heal his 
wounded conscience. He now begins to pray. 
His prayer is now the real language of his heart, 
not the formal, unmeaning service it was before. 
A sense of his danger drives him to the throne of 
grace. The word of God he now reads as the de- 
cision of eternal truth, and he reads it as having an 
infcrestin every line. O sinner ! has^this inquiry 
hee-n yours, " What must I do to be saved?" 



SHORT SERMONS. 177 

VII. Repent ye, and believe the Gospel. Mark i. 15. 

THESE are the words of our blessed Saviour, 
addressed to poor, guilty sinners like you and me. 
But what is repentance ? It is the work of the Spir- 
it of Christ upon the heart, producing such an in- 
ward sense of the evil and guilt of sin, as makes a 
man wonder that he is out of hell ; such a hatred 
of sin as causes a man to forsake it ; and such an 
apprehension of the consequences of sin, as makes 
a man willing to be saved wholly and solely 
through what Jesus Christ has done and suffered 
for lost souls. The penitent sinner is convinced 
that sin deserves punishment ; that he himself, as 
a sinner, is liable to the wrath of God ; that sin 
must be pardoned or punished ; that he can make 
no amends for the least of his transgressions, and 
consequently that his salvation must be ail of 
grace. The 'man thus humbled is prepared to 
welcome the news of a Saviour, " who came to 
seek and to save that which was lost." Matt, 
xviii. 11. Such is the gospel. It is glad tidings 
to a lost, guilty world. The sum and substance 
of it is, that " Christ Jesus came into the world to 
save sinners." 1 Tim. i. 15. He died to make 
satisfaction for their sins ; and, being God and man 
in one Christ, " he is able to save to the utter- 
most all that come unto God by him." Heb. vii. 
25. His blood being the blood of God incarnate, 
Acts xx. 28, was infinitely meritorious, audit was 
shed for this very purpose, to take away sin : so 
that if your sins, poor, self-condemned sinner, are 
more in number than the hairs of your head, or 
the sand on the sea shore ; if they are great and 
aggravated, and red like scarlet ; yet there is hope : 

Q 2 



178 SHORT SERMONS. 

"the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth (hath virtue 
to cleanse) from all sin." 2 John i. 7. " But how 
am I to become interested in this, and get the 
comfort of it?" Believe the gospel, rely on what 
the word of God says about Jesus Christ, and his 
willingness and power to save sinners. "But 
may I without presumption believe that Jesus 
Christ came to save such a wretch as I am?" 
Yes, "this is God's commandment, that ye be- 
lieve on the name of his Son Jesus Christ." 1 
John hi. 23. There can be no presumption in 
doing what God has commanded, and taking God 
at his word. 



VIII. This is a faithful saying and worthy of at! 

acceptation, that Jesus Christ came into theivorld 

to save sinners? of whom I am the chief Tim. 

i. 15. 

THIS is the sum of the gospel. Jesus Christ 
is God : "He made the world, and all that there- 
in is : all things were made by him and for him ;" 
See John i. L — 3. Col. i. 19. But we his crea-' 
tures broke his laws, and rebelled against him. 
He might justly have cast us into "hell, the lake 
that burneth with fire and brimstone* But O, 
wondrous love ! God was manifest in the flesh ; 
was born into the world. For what purpose ? To 
save sinners. How did he save them? By dy- 
ing for them upon the cross,* bearing their sins in 
his own body upon the tree, and washing them 
from their sins in his own blood. Did I ever 
consider this wonderful love of God ? I am a sin- 
ner, born in sin, and, as such, liable to eternal 
punishment. * Jesus Christ came into the world 



SHORT SERMONS. 179 

to save sinners," even such as I am. Have I ev- 
er earnestly entreated him to save' me ? Do I be- 
Iieve that I am a miserable sinner ? Do I feel it 
and lament it ? And am I sensible that unless 
Christ saves me, I must be a damned soul forever ? 
Alas, how many never go to Jesus Christ to save 
them ! How many are careless and unconcerned 
about what Jesus Christ has done for sinners ! 
But do I lay it to heart ? Arc all my hopes built 
upon this faithful saying, " that Jesus Christ came 
into the world to save sinners ?" O what a com- 
fortable saying it is, that though I am a sinner, 
the chief of sinners, yet I may be saved from the 
sin I have committed, and the hell I have deserv- 
ed, if, under a penitential sense of my wickedness, 
I look to Jesus Christ and trust in him ! O may 
the Holy Spirit enable me to look unto Jesus ! O 
what should I> a poor wretched helpless sinner, do, 
if there were no Jesus to save me ! How eagerly 
should I welcome such glad tidings ! Surely the 
message is " worthy of all acceptation," and ought 
to be received by all, since all have sinned, and 
stand in need of salvation ; and since all, who feel 
their lost estate, may come to him who is able to 
save them. O Lord, the Holy Ghost, enable me 
to believe to the sfiving of my soul ! 



IX. Him that cometh unto me, 1 will in no wise 
cast out. John vi. 37. 
HOW tenderly compassionate is the dear 
Friend of poor, lost sinners ! How anxious does 
he appear to remove every objection out of the way 
of the inquiring soul, that is nmde willing to 1>q 



180 SHORT SERMONS. 

saved on gospel terms, " by grace through faith !" 
Eph. ii. 8. Lest such should be discouraged, 
how graciously does he describe their character 
and feelings, inviting them with all the eloquence of 
god-like pity to come unto him ! Hear his words, 
Matt. xi. 28, " Come unto me, all ye that labour 
and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." 
Are you weary of the slavery of sin, and the bon- 
dage of Satan and the world? Are you heavy 
laden with guilt in your consciences, and fear in 
your hearts ? Behold ! the loving Saviour stands 
with open arms to receive you ; and these are the 
gracious words which proceed out of his mouth, 
4 ' Come unto me, and I will give you rest." 
He is faithful that hath promised, Heb. x. 23, and 
cannot deceive you. He will not alter the thing 
that hath gone out of his lips. Psa. lxxxix. 31. 
Make the experiment, come to him. He is able 
and willing to save ; wherefore should you doubt ? 
But you say, " I am a sinner." Be it known 
unto you, that Jesus Christ is an almighty Saviour, 
You say farther, c< I have continued long in open 
rebellion against him. I have been many years 
sinning against him with a high hand. " Be it so ; 
you are not out of the reach of mercy, nor is your 
case too desperate for the skill and power of the great 
physician. Do you still object, " I am a sinner of 
no common kind, of sinners I am chief ?" Even 
unto you is the word of this salvation sent. The 
blood of Jesus is the blood of God, Acts xx. 28, 
and therefore " cleanseth from all sin." 1 John 
i. 7. His righteousness is the righteousness of 
God, Rom. iii. 23. and therefore is sufficient to 
justify the most ungodly. Do not despair ; for 
thus saith thy Saviour, the lover of thy poor soul. 



SHORT SERMONS. 181 

u Him that comethunto me, I will in no*wise cast 
out." He makes no exceptions ; being " not wil- 
ling that any should perish, but that all should 
come to repentance." 2 Peter iii. 9. 

But you say, " Must I not mend my heart and 
reform my life before I venture to approach him ?" 
If you wait till you have effected this in your own 
strength, you will, after all, die in your sins. 
This he must do for you : and this he will effect- 
ually do for you, when you come to his cross, 
confessing your sins, and trusting in his blood as 
your atonement. You must come to him just as 
you are, a poor, vile sinner, to be washed in his 
blood, to be clothed in his righteousness, sanctifi- 
ed by his Spirit, and fitted lor his glory. Why 
do you object to receive what he is so ready to 
give, and that freely, " without money, and with- 
out price," Isa. lv. 1, even pardon, holiness and 
heaven? He professedly received) sinners, Luke 
xv. 3, that he may save them, and has solemnly 
declared, him that cometh unto me, be the 
person who, or what he may, x will in no 

WISE CAST OUT. 



X. Being justified by faith %ve have peace with 
God through, our Lord Jesus Christ. Rom. v. 1. 

"THERK is no peace, saith my God, to the 
wicked," Isaiah xlviii. 23. An unpardoned sin- 
ner can have no peace with God. While his con- 
science is unawakened, he may be careless and se- 
cure ; but as soon as his eyes are opened, and his 
heart is made to feel, he must be miserable, till 
God speaks peace to his guilty soul. To be justi- 
fied is to be pardoned and accepted of God. Par- 



182 SHORT SERMONS, 

don and acceptance are only to be obtained by 
faith in Jesus Christ, as having atoned for sin by 
his precious blood* When it is given me to be- 
lieve that Jesus Christ hath taken away my sins, 
there is nothing more to distress my conscience ; 
then I have " peace with God." The distress of 
an awakened soul arises from a guilty conscience, 
and a sense of his sins. As soon therefore as the 
poor, trembling sinner discovers, that Christ died 
for such as he is ; that Christ being God is able 
to save the chief of sinners ; that this was his er- 
rand into the world ; and that he has said, " him 
that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out" — 
John vi. 37— As soon as the poor sinner believes 
this, he has peace with God : he can call God his 
father; he can trust God for every thing; he can 
think of death with comfort, and rejoice in hope 
of the glory of God. Sinner, is this your state ? 
Do you know that there is no salvation without an 
interest in Christ; that there is no peace with 
God but through Christ ; that unless your sins 
are pardoned your life must be unhappy, and your 
death the entrance on eternal misery ? If I am 
looking unto Jesus as the only Saviour, and in 
self-despair have fled unto him for refuge, then 
God is no longer angry with me; my sins, which 
are many, are forgiven, my person is accepted, 
and if I die to night I shall go to God. O happy 
state to have nothing to fear in life or death! to 
have God for our Friend, Christ for our Redeem- 
er, the Holy Ghost for our Comforter, death our 
friend, heaven our home, and an eternity be- 
fore us^ of peace and joy ! Sinner, is this thy 
case ? . 



SHORT SERMONS. 183 

XL Unto you which believe lie is precious. 1 Pet. ii. 7. 

THE apostle is speaking of Jesus Christ, the 
dear dying friend of poor lost sinners, who pitied 
us, when we had no pity on ourselves ; and died 
for us, when otherwise we must have been cast in- 
to hell. Now if you believe this, that your sins 
would have damned you, if Christ had not taken 
them on himself; and that you must have been 
cursed forever, if Christ had not been made a 
curse for you; if you feel in your hearts an humble 
assurance of pardon purchased by his blood ; and 
if you can consider him as saying to you in the 
gospel, what he said to the poor, sinful woman, 
Luke vii. 48 — 50, ' ; Go in peace, thy sins are for- 
given ;" then Christ is precious to you ; you love 
him above all things. You love to think of him ; 
you love to hear of him ; you love to talk of him ; 
whatever lie has commanded, you desire to do ; 
and whatever he has forbidden, you would not 
willingly do, to gain the whole world. You are 
now become a new creature. You cannot live as- 
you once lived. You arc born again. Old things 
are passed away, and all things are become new. 
2 Cor. v. 17. "The things which you once hated, 
such as prayer, praise, hearing and reading God's 
word, you "now love ; and the things which you 
once loved, such as vain conversation, and trifling 
amusements, you now hate. You cannot now go 
to bed at night without thanking the adorable 
Saviour for the mercies of day ; nor without com- 
mitting yourself to his protection for the night, and 
trusting your soul in his hands, that if you die be- 
fore morning, he may receive you unto himself: 
and when you rise in the morning, you cannot go 



184 SHORT SERMONS. 

out into the world about your lawful business, 
without begging him to keep you from the snares 
of the world and the temptation of Satan. Your 
one object is to please your beloved Saviour, and 
above all things, you fear to offend him. You de- 
sire, " whether you eat or drink, to do all to the 
glory of God." 1 Cor. v. 14. 



XII. Folmv holiness, "without which no man shall 
see the Lord. Heb. xii. 14. 

GOD is a holy God : Christ is a holy Saviour : 
the Spirit of God is a holy Spirit : heaven is a 
holy place : the angels are holy angels : and all 
God's redeemed people are a holy people. Am I 
a holy person Z If I am not, the scriptures assure 
me that I shall not (cannot) see God. It is not 
mere decency of conduct ; there may be external 
morality where there is no holiness, though there 
can be no holiness without morality.* If you are 
a holy person, you not only abstain from sin, but 
you really hate it. You hate all sin : whatever is 
not consistent with the will of God you hate and 
abhor. Your abhorrence is turned against your- 
self on account of your remaining sinfulness. You 
discover sin not only in your life, but in your 
heart. If you are a sanctified person, you make 
conscience not only of your actions and words, 
but of your thoughts. You desire not only to ap- 
pear good in the eye of the world, but to approve 
yourself to God, who searclreth the heart. You 
seek an inward conformity to the mind and will 
of God. Is this the case ? Remember that it is 
written, ' ' without holiness no man shall see the 
Lord." Holiness is, in short, the love of God 



SHORT SERMONS. l&S 

shed abroad in the heart by the Holy Ghost given 
unto us. This love becomes the motive to all 
holy obedience ; the word of God then becomes 
the rule of the whole conduct ; and the glory of 
God is proposed as to the end of our conversation. 
Now no man can enter heaven till he is made 
holy. Do you believe it? And is it the prayer 
of your heart, " Lord, sanctify me wholly, body, 
soul, and spirit?" If it be, the Lord hath begun 
the good work on your heart, and he will perfect 
it unto the day of Jesus Christ, that you may be 
presented holy and unblameable before him in 
love. 



XIII. Looking for the blessed hope, and the glorious 
appearing of the great God, and our Saviour Je- 
sus Christ. Titus ii. 13. 

THIS is the happy privilege of the believer in 
Christ, to be looking for the second appearance of 
his Lord. Jesus has promised that he will come 
again: that he will " come quickly." Rev. xxii. 
20. He has declared that his coming will be 
sudden, like that of the thief in the night. Thess. 
v. 2. The believer is a man who is expecting it, 
waiting for it, and preparing to welcome it. He 
knows, that though " the Lord Jesus shall be re- 
vealed from heaven with his mighty angels in 
flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know 
not God, and obey not the gospel of our Lord Je- 
sus Christ, who shall be punished with everlasting 
destruction from the presence of the Lord, and 
from the glory of his power," yet, that another end 
of his coming is, that he may u be glorified in his 

R 



186 SHORT SERMONS. 

saints, and admired in all them that believe. " 2 
Thess. i. 8, 10. Therefore " he looks for that 
blessed hope. 5 ' He has " peace with God through 
Jesus Christ." Guilt, the cause of fear, is taken 
away. He believes that the Judge is his friend, 
therefore he looks forward with a comfortable ex- 
pectation. He feels that his present state is not 
his rest ; for though the guilt of- sin is taken out 
of his conscience, and the love and power of it out 
of his heart, he painfully feels, that sin yet " dwel- 
leth in him ;" and therefore longs for the coming 
of Christ, that he may totally destroy it. The 
hope he has is a blessed hope, because the things 
hoped for are inestimable in value, eternal in 
duration, and certain to the man, who looks for 
them in faith. and hope. " We that are in this 
tabernacle (of flesh and blood) do groan, being 
burdened," 2 Cor. v. A. with sin, affliction, and 
temptation : but at the glorious appearing of our 
Lord Jesus Christ, " God shall wipe away all tears 
from our eyes ; and there shall be no more death, 
neither sorrow, nor crying ; neither shall there be 
any more pain; for the former things are passed 
away." 



XIV. If ye then being evil, know how to give good 
gifts unto your children : how much more shall 
your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to 
them that ask him? Luke xi. 13. 

IN these words our gracious Father, who is in 
heaven, permits us to decide an important point 
by the conviction of our ow r n consciences. He 
appeals to our feelings as parents, in order to en- 
courage our hope, and enliven our confidence, 
ver. 11, u If a son ask bread of any of you that is a 



SHORT SERMONS, 1§7 

lather, will he give him a stone?" If a hungry- 
child come to a father, saying, " Father, I am 
starving for want, give me. bread to eat," will the 
father (unless he is worse than a brute) give his 
child a stone to mock him? "Or if he ask a fish, 
will he give, him a serpent ? Or if he ask an egg, 
will he give him a scorpion," to destroy him ? 
Certainly not. "How much more then shall 
your heavenly Father," whose affection to his 
poor, sinful children is infinitely superior to yours 
for the offspring of your bodies, " give the Holy 
Spirit to them that ask him-?" 

I am a poor, ignorant sinner. I- want to know 
myself as a sinner before God, and as exposed to 
his just indignation. I want to know Jesus Christ 
as a Saviour, for, to know " Him, is life eternal." 
But this saving knowledge I can derive only from 
divine teaching. God has promised his Holy 
Spirit, to lead the poor, ignorant sinner, that feels 
his ignorance, (for that is the point) into all truth 
necessary for his comfort and salvation. " O 
Lord, let thy Holy Spirit teach me !" 

I am a poor, helpless sinner : I find I have "no 
power to believe on the Son of God. Yet faith in 
him is essential to salvation. My conscience is 
distressed on account of my sins. I want to know 
him, and the power of his resurrection. But I 
can no more believe, by any mere exertion of my 
own powers, than I can make a world. God has 
promised his Holy Spirit to create faith in the 
heart of every humble supplicant. O Lord, help 
me to believe, to the peace of my conscience, the 
salvation of my soul, and the eternal glory of thy 
name. 



188 SHORT SERMONS. 

God giveth his Holy Spirit to them that ask 
him. We can do nothing, we can do nothing 
but sin, and so destroy ourselves, without his 
special assistance. Do you feel you want it ? 
And do want and absolute necessity drive you to a 
throne of grace for his comprehensive blessing ? 
Do you ask, as a hungry child asks his father for 
bread ? Are you sensible of your ignorance, so as 
earnestly to seek his divine teaching ; and of 
your helpless state, so as to ask help of God? 
" Ask, and ye shall have : seek, and ye shall find : 
knock, and it shall be opened unto you." Con- 
sider, God cannot break his word. If you have 
asked without receiving, it is because you did not 
ask in earnest. You do not feel your want. Ask 
of God to give you to feel your wants, and then 
he will supply them : ask him to teach you to 
pray. Come to him as a poor, ignorant, helpless' 
child, for " except ye be converted, and become 
as little children, ye cannot enter into the kingdom 
of heaven." Matt, xviii. 3. Lord, give unto us 
this child-like spirit ! 



XV. // is appointed unto men once to die, but af- 
ter thiS) the judgment. Hebrews ix. 27. 

YOU and I are dying creatures. We have seen 
many of our friends and relatives laid in the grave : 
many as young as ourselves, and apparently as 
likely to live. Some we have seen carried off by 
long and lingering diseases, and some cut down 
suddenly without warning. God only knows 
w 7 hen we are to follow them into the eternal world. 
We know not the day of our death. Our times 
are in God's hand. It may be to-night. We are 



SHORT SERMONS. 189 

certain the moment of death must come ; we are 
certain it can be at no great distance ; but we 
know not how near. Now if these things are true, 
what madness it is to put off the necessary work of 
repentance to a future day ! We are not certain of 
seeing to-morrow : and as repentance is " the 
gift of God," if we neglect to ask for it to-day, and 
refuse to hear his warning voice, he may say to us, 
as in Prov. i. 24. &x. " Because I have called, 
and ye have refused ; I have stretched out my 
hand, and no man regarded ; but ye have set at 
nought my counsel, and would none of my re- 
proof ; I will also laugh at your calamity, and 
mock when your fear cometh : when your fear 
cometh as desolation, and your destruction com- 
eth as a whirlwind ; when distress and anguish 
come upon you : Then shall they call upon me, 
but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, 
but they shall not find me ; for that they hated 
knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the 
Lord." 

After death comes the judgment. We must all 
stand before the judgment-seat of Christ, to give 
an account of the things done in the body, whether 
they be good or bad. Who must appear there? 
All, young and old, rich and poor, without dis- 
tinction or exception. You and I must meet 
there. But for what purpose ? To give account 
of all our secret thoughts, and of all our secret 
actions, to the Almighty Judge. He keeps 
a book of remembrance, in which all evil 
thoughts, words, and works, are registered ; 
every one of which will be then brought forth 
to our eternal confusion, unless they are washed 

R2 



190 SHORT SERMONS* 

away in the precious blood of the Lord Jesus 
Christ. We read, Rev. vi. 16, that some, in 
that day, will call on the rocks and mountains, 
saying, " Fall on us, and hide us from the face of 
him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath 
of the Lamb." God grant it may not be your 
case, or mine. But in order to avoid this dread- 
ful state, we must "seek the Lord while he is 
near ; the wicked must forsake his ways, and the 
unrighteous man his thoughts, and return unto 
the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him, and 
to our God, and he will abundantly pardon." 
This is the day of grace. But it will be too late 
to seek for mercy when the day of judgment 
comes. If you die without an interest in Chris t, 
it had been good for you if you had never been 
born ; for it would be better to have no existence 
at all, than to have a miserable existence in hell 
forever. This must be the portion of every un- 
pardoned, unconverted sinner* God hath said it, 
who cannot lie. 



XVI. How shall %ve escape if we neglect so great 
salvation? Heb. ii. 3. 

A SALVATION great indeed, beyond de- 
scription or conception, contrived by the wisdom 
and love of God for my poor, lost soul ! A sal- 
vation procured by the death of the only-begot- 
ten Son of God ! How near was I to the brink of 
hell ! How deeply was I fallen I How many and 
great my sins, to make such a salvation necessary { 
How dangerous must it be to neglect it ! God 
has no other Son to give ! If you are unconcern- 
ed about it, if you take no pains to secure it, if 



SHORT SERMONS. 191 

you are unaffected with your danger, and with the 
salvation that is proposed to you, how can you 
escape ! It is impossible. You reject the only 
Saviour, and thereby commit the greatest sin : 
you spurn at God's mercy in Christ, and trample 
the precious blood of Christ under your feet. 
Are you not shocked at such a thought ? Be as- 
sured that every careless, prayerless sinner, is 
guilty of this. There is no relief for those who 
reject Christ. There remaineth no more sacri- 
fice for sin. Their ruin is certain, is near, and 
will be eternal and intolerable. Remember, " this 
is the accepted time, and this is the day of salva- 
tion." Cor. vi. 2. If you die without Christ, 
you can never see the face of God with comfort. 
You must hear the Judge pronounce your sen- 
tence, " Depart, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, 
prepared for the devil and his angels." MatU 
xxv. 11. God forbid! Once more I entreat 
you, my fellow sinner, before you close the book, 
stop, and think. Nay, go upon your knees, and 
pray to God to awaken your conscience, and give 
you the knowledge of Christ. My prayers are 
offered up for your salvation. I have no motive 
in putting this into your hands, but your eternal 
good. O God, may these sermons be produc- 
tive of good to the reader's soul in time and eter- 
nity. Follow it with thy blessing : and may thy 
precious truths, therein set forth, " be the savour 
of life unto life, and not of death unto death." 
Grant it, O Lord, for Jesus Christ's sake ! Amen. 
Amen. 



SWEARER'S PRAYER; 

OR, 

HIS OATH EXPLAINED. 



WHAT, a swearer pray ! Yes, swearer, 
whether thou thinkest so or not, each of thy 
oaths is a prayer— an appeal to the holy and 
Almighty God, whose name thou darest so impi- 
ously to take into thy lips. 

And what is it, thinkest thou, swearer, that thou 
dost call for, when the awful imprecations, damn 
and damnation roll so frequently from thy profane 
tongue? Tremble, swearer, while I tell thee ! 
Thy prayer containeth two parts. Thou prayest 
first, that thou mayest be deprived of eternal happi- 
ness ! Secondly, that thou mayest be plunged 
into eternal misery ! 

When, therefore, thou callest for damnation, 
dost thou not, in effect, say as follows ? u O God I 
thou hast power to punish me in hell forever: 
therefore let not one of my sins be forgiven ! Let 
every oath I have sworn, every lie that I have 
told, every Sabbath that I have broken, and alt 
the sins that I have committed, either in thought, 
word or deed, rise up in judgment against me, 
and eternally condemn me. Let me never par- 
take of thy salvation ! May my soul and body be 
deprived of all happiness, both in this world and 
that which is to come ! Let me never see thy face 
with comfort, never enjoy thy favour and friend- 
ship; let me never enter into the kingdom of 
heaven!" 

This is the first part of thy prayer. Let us hear 
the second : 



THE SWEARER^ PRAYER* 193 

" O God, let me not only be shut out of heaven, 
but also shut up in hell ! May all the members 
of my body be tormented with inconceivable 
agony, and all the powers of my soul tormented 
with horror and despair, inexpressible and 
eternal ! Let my dwelling be in the blackness of 
darkness, and my companions accursed men and 
accursed devils ! Pour down thy hottest anger ; 
execute all thy wrath and curse upon me ; arm 
and send forth all thy terrors against me ; and let 
thy fierce, thy fiery, thy fearful indignation, rest 
upon me ! Be mine eternal enemy ; and plague, 
and punish, and torment me, in hell, forever and 
ever, and ever ! ! !" Swearer, this is thy prayer ! ! ! 
O dreadful imprecation ! O horrible, horrible, 
most horrible ! Blaspheming man ! Dcst thou 
like thy petition ? Look at it. Art thou sincere 
in thy prayer, or art thou mocking thy Maker? Dost 
thou wish for damnation ? Art thou desirous of 
eternal torment ? If so, swear on, swear hard. 
The more oaths, the more misery; and, perhaps, 
the sooner thou mayest be in hell. Art thou 
shocked at this language ? Does it harrow up thy 
soul ? Does thy Icod run cold in thy veins ? 

Art thou convinced of the evil of profane swear- 
ing ? How many times hast thou blasphemed the 
God of heaven ? How many times hast thou ask- 
ed God to damn thee in the course of a year, a 
month, a day? Nay, how many times in a single 
hour hast thou called for damnation? Art thou 
not vet in hell? Wonder, O heavens, and be 
astonished, O earth, at the goodness and long-suf- 
fering of that God, whose great name, swearing 
persons, so often and so awfully profane ! Swear- 
er, be thankful, O be exceedingly thankful, that 
God has not answered thy prayer, thy tremendous 



194 the swearer's prater. 

prayer ; that his mercy and patience have with- 
holden the request of thy polluted lips ! Never 
let him hear another oath from thy unhallowed 
tongue, lest it should be thy last expression upon 
earth, and thy swearing prayer should be answer- 
ed in hell. O, let thine oaths be turned into sup- 
plications ! Repent, and turn to Jesus who died 
for swearers, as well as for his murderers. And 
then, O then, (though thou mayest have sworn as 
many oaths as there are " stars in the heavens, and 
sands upon the sea- shore innumerable,") then thou 
shalt find, to thy eternal joy, that there is love 
enough in his heart, and merit sufficient in his 
blood, to pardon thy sins and save thy soul for- 
ever Swearer! Canst thou ever again blas- 
pheme such a God and Saviour as this ? Does not 
thy conscience cry — God forbid! Even so, Amen. 

THE PRAYER ANSWERED, 

In the following^ among multitudes of other instances. 

IN November, 1786, a person much given to 
swearing, being disappointed by one of his compan- 
ions in not returning to the public-house as soon 
as he expected, .swore he would never drink with 
him again, and that if he did, it should be his last. 
Accordingly, that day was his last. God took 
him at his word, and thus called him into eternity. 

In Nov. 1787, one W — rs, a smith, spending 
the evening at a public-house, in Leather-lane, 
quarrelled with one of his companions, mid. swear- 
ing the most horrid oaths, God struck him instan- 
taneously dead with an oath on his lips, upon the 
bench where he was sitting. The jury who sat 
upon the body, after hearing all the circumstances 
of the case, brought in tiieir verdict, that " W—rs 



THE SWEARER'S PRAYER. 195, 

was struck dead as a judgment from God." This 
narration was given by the foreman of the jury. 

Another remarkable judgment overtook a 
person living in Brewer- street, Soho, who, cursing 
and swearing in a most dreadful manner, was 
struck speechless, and died the same afternoon. 

[Will*' Register. 

T. G. who lived in the parish of Sedgley, near 
Wolverhampton, having lost a considerable sum 
at cock-fighting, to which practice he was notori- 
ously addicted, swore, in a most horrid manner, 
that he would never fight another cock, frequently 
calling upon God to damn his soul to all eternity 
if he did ; and, with dreadful imprecations, wish- 
ing the devil might fetch him, if ever he made 
another bet. 

His resolutions, thus impiously formed, were 
for awhile observed ; but about two years after- 
wards, Satan, whose willing servant he continued 
to be, inspired him with a violent desire to attend 
a cocking at Wolverhampton, and he complied 
with the temptation. He there stood up, and 
cried, "I hold four to three on such a cock." 
"Four what?" said one of his companions in 
iniquity. "Four shillings," replied he. Upon 
Which the wager was confirmed, and he putting 
his hand into his pocket for the money instantly 
fell a ghastly corpse to t/ic ground. [ Evan. Mag. 

Who hath hardened himself against God and prospered ? 
Job ix. 4. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God 
in vairiy for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh 
his name in vain. Exod. xx. 7. Because of swearing the 
land moumeth. Jer. xxiii. 10. Every one that swear eth 
shall be cut off. Zech. v. 3. 

Dear Reader, art thou a swearer ? O take this friend- 
ly warning- : thy next oath may be thy last. If thf 
prayer is heard, thy soul is damned forever ! ! ! 



ARDENT SPIRITS, 

Look not thou on the liquor when it sparkles, ivheti 
it giveth its colour in the cup, when it moveth it- 
self aright : at the last it biteth like a serpent, and 
stingeth like an adder. Solomon. 

THERE is no prevailing evil that in such a 
degree debauches the morals, poisons the happi- 
ness, and threatens to destroy the liberties of the 
people of this country, as the excessive and in- 
creasing use of ardent spirits. The extreme dan- 
ger to the public, as well as the ruin to individu- 
als and to their families resulting from this pesti- 
lent source, ought to be made the subject of fre- 
quent animadversion. In vain have the sages of 
this country formed republican institutions, in vain 
has the blood of its patriots and heroes been shed, 
and in vain may we boast (indeed not long can we 
boast) of civil freedom, if the fatal practice of using 
ardent spirits as a common and daily beverage 
should continue and increase. The duties on 
spirits and on wines imported to this country 
amount to more than six millions of dollars a year ; 
a sum more than sufficient to give a constant sup- 
port to good schools for all the children of the 
country between the asres of seven and fourteen. 
You will observe that merely the duties on liquors^ 
imported to the United States, amount yearly to 
the aforesaid sum, exceeding six millions of dol- 
lars ; and how enormous then must be the whole 
retail cost of these liquors ! A large proportion of 
them, it is granted, is exported from hence to 
other countries ; but mean while vast quantities 
of various kinds of ardent spirits are distilled at 
home ; and this kind of manufacture rapidly in- 






ARDENT SPIRITS. 197 

creases every year. There were according to the 
returns for the year 1800, more than twenty 
thousand stills in this country, and their number 
since has probably increased to ten thousand 
more. Our land, exceeding in one respect, the 
goodly land of old, that flowed with milk and 
honey, flows with all the necessaries of life, but 
most abundantly with rum, gin, brandy and whis- 
ky ; and those streams are eagerly absorbed by 
its infatuated and ever tiiirsty inhabitants, who 
" spend their money for that which is not bread, 
and their labour for that which satisfieth not." 
The sums which in this country are yearly lavish- 
ed in the purchase and unnecessary use of ardent 
spirits are of astonishing magnitude : they prob- 
ably exceed the taxes for the support of all our 
governments, added to a sum sufficient to support 
a decent school in every considerable village 
throughout the union. 

The immense waste of property is, however, 
the least part of the evil : an excessive use of ar- 
dent spirits, becoming general, is an inlet to almost 
rv evil that can infest and debase society. It 
weakens and poisons the body, and impairs the 
intellect, curdles the temper and corrupts the 
whole mind ; it makes churlish as well as silly 
husbands, unnatural fathers, rebellious sons, idle 
and seditious citizens : it degrades man, in some 
respects, below the beasts that perish, but >hich 
never perish in the ignominious manner that ma- 
ny human creatures do — by intoxication. 

SPEAKING of ardent spirits, that eminent 
physician, Dr. Rush, says, " They impair the 
memory, debilitate the understanding, and per- 

S 



198 AHJDENT SPIRITS. 

vert the moral faculties. It was probably from 
these effects of intemperance in drinking, upon 
the mind, that a law was formerly passed in Spain, 
which excluded drunkards from being witnesses 
in a court of justice. But the demoralizing ef- 
fects of distilled spirits do not stop here. They 
produce not only falsehood, but fraud, theft, un- 
cleanliness, and murder. Like the demoniac 
mentioned in the New Testament, their name is 
" Legion," for they convey into the soul a host of 
vices and crimes. A more affecting spectacle can- 
not be exhibited, than a person into whom this 
infernal spirit, generated by habits of intemper- 
ance, has entered. It is more or less affecting, 
according to the station the person fills in a family 
or in society, who is possessed by it. Is he a 
husband ? How deep the anguish which rends 
the bosom of the wife ! Is she a wife ? Who 
can measure the shame and aversion she excites in 
her husband ! Is he the father, or is she the mother 
of a family of children ? See their averted looks 
from their parent, and their blushing looks at 
each other! Is he a magistrate, or has he been 
chosen to fill a high and respectable station in 
the councils of his country I What humiliating 
fears of corruption in the administration of the laws, 
and of the subversion of public order and happi- 
ness, appear in the countenances of all who see 
him 1 Is he a minister of the gospel ? Here lan- 
guage fails me. If angels weep, it is at such a 
sight." As to the next life*> the drunkard is pre- 
paring for eternal torments. For inspiration ex- 
pressly declares, u Nor drunkards shall inherit the 
kingdom of God." 



ON THE 

LORD'S DAY. 



PERMIT a friend, who wishes well to all man* 
kind, respectfully and affectionately to remind you 
of a divine law, too much forgotten by many, per- 
haps by you — remember the sabbath day 

TO KEEP IT HOLY. 

This is the command of the great God, the 
Maker of heaven and earth ; "the God in whose 
hand our breath is, and whose are all our ways;" 
the God who gave us being; the God who gives 
us all our time, and who allows us six days out of 
seven for worldly concerns. "Six days shalt 
thou labour and do all thy work ; but the seventh 
day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God." He 
claims this day as his own. And can you refuse 
so just a claim? lie has hallowed this day : that 
is, he has made it holy ; he has reserved it for his 
own service ; he has ordained, that from the be- 
ginning of the world to the end of it, the children 
of men should employ the sacred hours in holy 
acts of private or public worship. 

Say now, is it not right, that you should cheer- 
fully obey the heavenly command? Consider 
how necessary and reasonable the appointment ! It 
is necessary, were it only to give suitable rest to 
the bodies of man and beast. Without this mer- 
ciful institution, how many would have allowed 
neither themselves nor their servants proper sea- 
sons of repose ! If there were no Sabbath in a 
nation, there would soon be no religion ; and what 
then would become of the interests of moralitv ? 
The merciful God appoints a Sabbath for your 



200 ON THE LORD'S DAY.. 

good. It is for your sake, not his own, that he 
requires it. He needeth not you, nor any child 
of man. He seeks your good, your everlasting 
good ; for he has not only hallowed this day, but 
he has also blessed it. It is a day of special grace. 
The King of heaven, sitting on the throne of mer- 
cy, gives audience on this best of days to the as- 
sembled subject of his gracious empire. Millions 
of happy spirits now in heaven will bless God to 
all eternity, for the spiritual blessings of Christ 
Jesus, which, when on earth, they received on this 
happy day ; and thousands now on their way to 
glory, find it good for them to draw near to God, 
and justly esteem " a day in his courts better than 
a thousand." So that you are an enemy to your- 
self, if your profane this day. If you love your 
own soul, why will you lose the opportunity of 
being happy ? 

If you studied only 3^our present good, you 
would keep the Sabbath. God honours them 
that honour him. Many have found that a Sab- 
bath well spent is usually followed by a prosper- 
ous week ; for it is " the blessing of the Lord that 
makethrich ;" and how can you expect his bless- 
ing if you disobey him? Lord Chief Justice 
Hale made the following observation : "I have 
found," said he, " that a due observing the duty 
of the Lord's day hath ever joined to it a blessing 
upon the rest of my time, and the week, that hath 
been so begun, hath been blessed and prosperous 
to me : And on the other side, when I have been 
negligent of the duties of this day, the rest of the 
week hath been unsuccessful, and unhappy to my 
secular employments," 



ON THE LORD'S DAY. 201 

And has not God frequently manifested his an- 
ger against Sabbath-breakers ? How many have 
perished in the midst of their amusements, and 
been suddenly called to the bar of God, while en- 
gaged in actual rebellion against him ! How many 
lovers of pleasure have been known, whose dying 
agonies have been awfully increased by the sad 
remembrance of the manner in which they spent 
their former Sabbaths ! And how many unhappy 
criminals have, in their last moments, ascribed 
their ruin to this sin ! Beware then of a vice so 
dangerous in its tendency, so fatal in its conse- 
quences : for if ycu forsake God, he may justly 
forsake you, and then you are undone forever. 

Do you hope to go to heaven when you die t 
I know you do. But consider how the saints in 
glory are employed. They keep perpetual sab- 
bath, and the worship of God is their constant de- 
light. But how can you reasonably hope for 
heaven unless you are formed by grace for the 
business and pleasures of it ; and how could you 
enjoy an eternal sabbath, who now turn your back 
upon God's worship, or say of the Sabbath, u what 
a weariness is it !" 

For God's sake, and for your own sake, 
<: Consider your Mays." Let the time past suf- 
fice to have rebelled against your Maker. Rebel 
no longer. Now say " Lord, it is enough. I 
have fought agayist thee too long. Forgive my 
iniquities past, and give me grace for time to 
come." No more let worldly business, nor vain 
amusements, engross these holy hours. You must 
not rob God : the day is all his own. Let it be a 
whole day — a day as long as others. Say not, 
What harm is there in taking a little amusement 



202 ON THE LORD'S DAY. 

after divine service ? Think a moment, and you 
will perceive the harm. Why should you erase 
the impressions of holy things as soon as they are 
piade ? Is not retirement as necessary as public 
worship.? On other days, much of your time is 
employed. Improve the leisure of a Sabbath. 
Retire *and read your Bible. Converse with God 
in prayer. Converse with your own heart. Con- 
verse with good books. And above all, be con- 
cerned to experience the blessings of the gospel 
which you hear. Have you been to church, and 
heard of Christ and salvation .by him ? Let it be 
your chief concern to " be found in him;" not 
trusting to your own works of righteousness, but 
to the righteousness he has brought in, and which 
is " to and upon all that believe. " Have you 
heard of the natural state of man as a sinner ? Ajy 
ply this to yourself, and be humbled in the dust 
of humiliation. Have you been told from thq 
w^ord of God, " that, except a man be born again, 
he cannot see the kingdom of God?" Inquire 
whether you have ever known a change of heart ; 
and pray for the Holy Spirit in all his gracious in- 
fluences, that you may be a new creature. Has 
some holy temper, or moral duty, been recom- 
mended to you from the pulpit ? Endeavour to 
fix the necessity and beauty of it in your mind, 
that so you may bring it into practice. This is 
the way to keep a Christian Sabbath ; and thus 
proceeding in the fear of God, you may humbly 
hope for God's blessing in the present world, and 
in the world to come. 

Blessed is the man that keepeth the Sabbath from 
polluting it. Isa. lvi. 2. 



THE 

FATAL BLUNDER. 



A VISION. 



DURING one of those waking dreams, when 
in the laboratory of the imagination, a thousand 
airy scenes are formed, in which, among various 
images of no consequence, truth sometimes comes 
home to the heart with irresistible force, the fol- 
lowing object was presented to my view. 

Methought an human figure stood before me, 
of an interesting appearance. On his brow care 
was depicted in deep lines. His lengthened 
■countenance seemed to say, " Wisdom is mine." 
In his whole aspect worldly prudence seemed 
strongly pourtrayed. Near him was placed a pair of 
scales of prodigious dimensions, the lofty beam of 
which was suspended from the arch of heaven : 
and in one of them lay an huge mill-stone, the 
weight of which kept it immoveably fixed on the 
ground ; while the other, having no counteq^oisc, 
was mounted high in the air. The sage philoso- 
pher, who stood by it, held in his hand a feather ; 
which the gentle zephyr that played around him, 
threatened to waft away on its wings. This, 
with an air of the utmost gravity, and an apparent 
expectation of seeing the beam instantly change 
its position, he laid in the empty scale. 

I could not forbear laughing at the ridiculous 
conduct of this deluded being ; and was turning 
away from the scene of absurdity, wondering at 
the strange flights of my own imagination ; when 



204 THE FATAL BLUNDER. 

I was struck with a conviction, that there was 
more of truth in the picture, than I was at first 
aware of. 

The scales of unvarying equity are suspended 
by the God of truth, in his blessed word. On 
one side is placed the world to come, with all its 
awful and everlasting realities ; in the other, that 
feathery trifle, lighter than the thistle's down, this 
present scene of vanity, which passeth away like a 
shadow. Man is placed by this balance to look 
on the objects that are presented to him, and to 
form his conduct according to the result of the 
observation he makes. And (strange to say ! ) 
the great majority of the human race, like the 
sage philosopher in my vision, are employed in 
trying to give a decided preponderance to the 
feather ; and gaze on the experiment with an ex- 
pectation of seeing the mill-stone kick the beam, 
and then form their conduct on this absurd expec- 
tation.- Thus they continue to deceive them- 
selves, till death too late rectifies their judgment. 

Very different was the determination of a true 
philosopher, whose wisdom is proposed for imita- 
tion in the inspired page. "By faith Moses, 
when he was come to years, refused to be called 
the son of Pharaoh* s daughter; choosing rather 
to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to 
enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season ; esteeming 
the reproach of Christ greater riches than the 
treasures of Egypt ; for he had respect unto the re- 
compense of the reward." Heb. xi. 24 — 26. 

FINIS. 



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